Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute documents for Forbes readers the post-election response to the federal health care reform law’s implementation.
With the election over and no chance President Obama will sign legislation repealing the law, implementation is proceeding. But the ObamaCare Resistance Movement has begun. Some examples:
Congress: “ObamaCare has to go,” wrote House Speaker John Boehner. He said, “There are essentially three major routes to repeal of the president’s law: the courts, the presidential election process and the congressional oversight process. With two of those three routes having come up short, the third and final one becomes more important than ever.” He pledged “vigorous oversight” and said House committees are already conducting investigations of possible improper spending.
Governors: The health law relies on states to expand insurance coverage through Medicaid and to set up bureaucracies, called exchanges, through which new health insurance subsidies will be distributed. Governor Bobby Jindal wrote a letter to the Department of Health & Human Services explaining why Louisiana will not be creating a state ObamaCare exchange:
“The full extent of damage the [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] causes to small businesses, the nation’s economy, and the American health care system will only be revealed with time. The State of Louisiana has no interest in being a party to this failure,” he wrote.
At least 21 states have said they definitely or probably will not set up state exchanges, with Ohio, Wisconsin, Maine, Nebraska, South Carolina, Georgia and Indiana most recently joining the opposition.
As Carolina Journal Online has reported, Gov.-elect Pat McCrory has not said yet whether North Carolina will proceed with a state exchange.
