Saturday, November 10, 2012

It is still possible to mostly destroy Obamacare...

States have to decide by Friday, November 16, if they will set up health-insurance “exchanges” and implement the law’s massive expansion of Medicaid. Under the law, they don't have to do either and they shouldn't. It will cost states a lot of money to run the exchanges and pay their part of the Medicaid expansion. Plus, why should state governments put themselves in the middle of implementing an unpopular law? NRO has 13 reasons states should tell Obama and Democrats to go pound sand.
President Obama has won reelection, and his administration has asked state officials to decide by Friday, November 16, whether their state will create one of Obamacare’s health-insurance “exchanges.” States also have to decide whether to implement the law’s massive expansion of Medicaid. The correct answer to both questions remains a resounding no.

State-created exchanges mean higher taxes, fewer jobs, and less protection of religious freedom. States are better off defaulting to a federal exchange. The Medicaid expansion is likewise too costly and risky a proposition. Republican Governors Association chairman Bob McDonnell (R.,Va.) agrees, and has announced that Virginia will implement neither provision.

There are many arguments against creating exchanges.

First, states are under no obligation to create one.

Second, operating an Obamacare exchange would be illegal in 14 states. Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia have enacted either statutes or constitutional amendments (or both) forbidding state employees to participate in an essential exchange function: implementing Obamacare’s individual and employer mandates.

Third, each exchange would cost its state an estimated $10 million to $100 million per year, necessitating tax increases.[...]
Seventh, Congress authorized no funds for federal “fallback” exchanges. So Washington may not be able to impose Exchanges on states at all.
Number 7 is very interesting.  Congress hasn't funded any money for the federal "fallback" exchanges if states decline to set up their own. Speaker Boehner should quit saying Obamacare is the law of the land and say House Republicans will fund it when Hell freezes over. If Boehner lacks the spine for the fight, he should be replaced with Eric Cantor or Paul Ryan.

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