Amycare is nearly here.

Next summer, Colorados new state health care exchange will begin a testing phase and be up and running by Oct. 1. Its a significant part of the states health care reform efforts and is designed to lower costs for businesses and individuals by creating what backers call a health care marketplace.

The nickname Amycare refers to the bipartisan SB200, passed in 2011, which created the exchange system. State Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, was the prime House sponsor, and opponents of the bill dubbed it Amycare, linking it to Obamacare, the GOP description for the federal health care bill.

Obamacare mandates that all 50 states create their health care exchange or accept one created by the federal government, and Amycare was designed to pre-empt federal intervention. The Colorado exchange will be an online portal that businesses and individuals can use to look for insurance tailored to their needs. Thats pretty much what Obamacare requires, and Amycares legal language says that the measure is designed to be in keeping with the federal law.

That also puts Colorado ahead of many other states that havent begun setting up exchanges, especially because states have to declare that theyre setting up exchanges, along with blueprints for the exchange, in a letter to the federal government by Dec. 14.

Leaders in several states were waiting to see what would happen if President Barack Obama lost his bid for re-election, or in case Obamacare was overturned in court.

Federal money will keep Colorados new exchange running for a year, but by Jan. 1, 2015, the exchange will be self-funded, said Patty Fontneau, CEO of the nonprofit in charge of setting it up. And the job is well under way.

You can let the federal government come in and dictate to us what kind of model were going to have, or we can build it openly ourselves, to meet the needs of individuals and businesses, Fontneau said. Thats what were doing.

Not all the federal regulations on health care exchanges, however, have been set up, or announced.

We will abide by Colorado state law and by federal law, Fontneau said.

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