Gov. Bill Haslam

Gov. Bill Haslam said Friday no decision has been made regarding whether Tennessee will participate in an insurance exchnge offered by the federal government under the Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare.

Tennessee has until Friday, Dec. 14, to sign up for the federal exchange program.

“The deadline for states to respond to the federal government about health insurance exchanges has been extended,” Haslam said in a written statement.

Haslam said Tennessee lawmakers are are hopeful in the coming weeks they will receive answers from Washington, D.C., to the many questions his administration has asked in an effort to have a full picture of the future of exchanges in the state.

“Let me be clear, I oppose the Affordable Care Act," he said. "I joined with other Republican governors earlier this year to fight the law. Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a majority of it this summer, including the provision that states are required to either participate in a federal exchange or establish their own.
 
“I understand there is a lot of passion and uncertainty about the health care law, and I share that frustration. As governor, I believe it is my job to put emotions aside and to make the tough decisions on the serious issues that impact Tennesseans. That is what I'm working hard to do.”