Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday that Tennessee will not set up its own health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act.

Haslam said in a speech to Nashville’s Downtown Rotary Club that he’s decided not to set up an exchange because he’s received insufficient information about how it would operate from the federal government. In just the last month, officials in Washington have released more than 800 pages worth of draft regulations, Haslam said, leaving him unclear whether Tennessee would be better off operating its own exchange or leaving the task to the federal government.

“I'm more and more convinced that they are making this up as they go,” Haslam said. “We weren’t told enough to be able to run this on our own.”

The decision comes days after tea party groups rallied near the state Capitol to oppose a health insurance exchange. Speakers, including a few Republican lawmakers, said Tennessee should block the exchange to send a message that the state continues to oppose the Affordable Care Act.

Right on. Via Haslam says Tennessee will not set up health care exchange | The Tennessean | tennessean.com.