DAYTON, OH - Governor John Kasich announced earlier this week that Ohio is in the process of creating a statewide marketplace or exchange for health insurance, as mandated by the Affordable Care Act, The Columbus Dispatch reports.

Kasich said Ohio has received federal funding to build an exchange, where individuals and small businesses that do not have insurance could obtain coverage, beginning in 2014.

Creating a statewide exchange would allow the Kasich administration, rather than the federal government, to regulate Ohio??s health-care market. Kasich said he is verifying whether accepting federal funding would affect whether Washington could in fact mandate market rules in Ohio.

"We have to get in position for this because we don't want the federal government coming in here and dictating an exchange," Kasich said. "It is important for people to be able to have a way to shop and find out what's available, but we also don't want a bunch of people in Washington who can't seem to get out of their way come in here and try to run Ohio."

Kasich, a former member of Congress, "blasted" President Obama??s health-care law during last year??s gubernatorial campaign.