State-based insurance exchange preserves our options
By Gov. Otter
At my request and after careful, deliberate consideration, the Idaho Senate recently approved legislation affirming my choice of a state-based health insurance exchange.
That bill now goes to the Idaho House of Representatives, where debate figures to be just as passionate. That’s understandable, since most members of the Idaho Legislature share my intense opposition to the so-called Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.
But the issue before us has nothing to do with how we feel about Obamacare, how we feel about overreaching federal authority and the government’s failure in this gargantuan and unworkable piece of law to address the essential goals of more affordable and accessible health care.
It has quite simply to do with our right and responsibility to keep as many options as possible open to the people of Idaho. As much as we might object to the necessity, creating a state-based exchange is the only way to preserve options, oversight and accountability for our citizens.
If we fail to seize this opportunity, if we default to total federal control of this process, the result will be an unresponsive, one-size-fits-all federal exchange wreaking havoc on some of America’s most reasonable costs of coverage.
At its core, this is a matter of state and individual rights. A state-based exchange enables us as citizens to be, if not the architect of our own destiny, then at least the general contractor.
Everyone reading this knows how I feel about Obamacare. As I have from the day it was enacted, I will continue encouraging and supporting efforts by our Idaho congressional delegation and many others to repeal and replace the law. But the fact remains that for now and for the foreseeable future it is the law. And as responsible elected officials we’re sworn to uphold the rule of law – not just those laws that we support.
So I urge the people of Idaho and members of the Legislature to stay engaged in the important work of changing a misguided federal law, but in the meantime we need to work at preserving for Idaho the option of having a voice in how one element of that law is implemented.
A state-run exchange that works for Idaho is neither a Trojan horse nor a white flag of surrender to Obamacare. Rather, it’s an opportunity to positively influence local outcomes under difficult circumstances, but we have to seize it.
Doing nothing leaves us with a federal exchange, administered from Washington, D.C., by unknown bureaucrats making decisions about Idaho citizens under the cover of an all-seeing and all-knowing government. That’s simply not acceptable to me or, I believe, to most of you.
More than a decade before Obamacare started giving health insurance exchanges a bad name, they were at work in the private sector, used mostly by large companies seeking to provide affordable group health coverage for their employees. Some states, including Idaho, also have had private exchanges selling small group and individual policies for years.
Then Obamacare started confusing the issue. Its passage and court approval, and the subsequent re-election of its namesake, left those of us seeking a market-based approach to addressing the issue frustrated and disappointed.
But much as we may wish otherwise, resisting Obamacare by simply refusing to act is no remedy at all. It sounds great in principle – even heroic. Yet history tells us it does not effectively influence public policy, change the law of the land or even protect our interests.
That requires relentless, tireless and consistent work to change hearts, minds and votes. Creating a state-based exchange maximizes our flexibility and degree of self-determination while that important process continues.
Make no mistake: Defaulting to a federal exchange is a worst-case scenario for Idaho. While advocates of doing nothing contend there is no substantive difference between a federal exchange and a state-based exchange, their arguments put philosophy and political wishful thinking ahead of facts like these:
· Nobody is required to buy health insurance through an Idaho-based exchange.
· Defaulting to a federal exchange would add extra layers of bureaucracy for Idaho insurance buyers.
· A state-based exchange would conduct all its business publicly and transparently – which would not be the case with a federal exchange.
Designing our own unique plan, having the exchange run by locally chosen Idaho citizens who will meet openly right here at home, gives us the best chance of weathering the Obamacare storm while meeting the needs of Idaho citizens.
As one member of the Idaho Senate so eloquently put it: Given a choice, I choose Idaho.
This column was written by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter.
For once, I actually agree with the Governor. Now, why won’t he listen to the fourteen members of his own committee that unanimously recommended expanding Medicare? 100,000 Idahoans would have healthcare, paid for by the federal government, instead we’re just going to continue writing off indigent costs and the rest of us will have to pick up the tab. Why is it that the people who have health care are so eager to deny it to the rest of us who don’t have anything? Why does Mr. Otter go through the charade of appointing a committee and then ignoring their recommendations?
gasman,
Consider the cost carefully, the federal government is bankrupt at best. It’s not paid for either locally nor at the federal level.
Given my personal experience with federal insurance exchanges here all they did was raise the cost and it’s not cheaper, in fact it’s way beyond expensive and getting worse. IRS estimates that a family policy will cost $20,000. How many can afford that and no, the feds can’t without bankrupting everyone to do it and then no one will have anything.
There’s got to be a better way and at present the ones we’re considering aren’t.
Your option to “choose Idaho” has long since past, even if you deny it has. ObamaDoesn’tCare.
Gasman.
I would say hate , hate of the poor , that is why.
I smell some foul crap here in Disgusted’s post.
Family cost will be $ 20.000 ? Bull Crap.
The State of Idaho Health Exchange Guide says NO one is forced to buy from the Exchange , they can purchase their own or get their insurance through their jobs.
CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW the average cost of insurance for a individual is $ 6000, it will be going down with the exchange to $ 4000.
Currently right now the average cost for family plans are $ 12.000 NOT $ 20.000.
Federal laws states if people who earn less than 138 percent of the poverty level of $ 14. 856 in 2012 can be covered under Medicaid .
The sliding scale of up to 400 percent of poverty level $ 44.680 can get subsidies for the insurance exchange.
NO State can design their exchanges differently – Nationwide. NO State.
Members of Congress and Staff Members will be required to buy through exchanges if they want coverage from the Government.
Anyone on Medicare will not be required to purchase insurance from a Federal or State exchange.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/irs-cheapest-obamacare-plan-will-be-20000-family
January 31, 2013
By Matt Cover
(CNSNews.com) – In a final regulation issued Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assumed that under Obamacare the cheapest health insurance plan available in 2016 for a family will cost $20,000 for the year.
Under Obamacare, Americans will be required to buy health insurance or pay a penalty to the IRS.
The IRS’s assumption that the cheapest plan for a family will cost $20,000 per year is found in examples the IRS gives to help people understand how to calculate the penalty they will need to pay the government if they do not buy a mandated health plan…..
“Anyone on Medicare will not be required to purchase insurance from a Federal or State exchange.”
Sort of true, their only choice is Medicare which is FEDERAL.
Medicare is bankrupt and worthless, you have to buy additional insurance to survive being sick. You have to buy ‘gap’ insurance to cover what those two then don’t cover. Check it out.
You have Medicare, millions have nothing.
Quit worrying about Matt Cover, CNSNEWS and read the real facts from State Health Exchange Guides.
NO one is forced to buy from a exchange, anyone can purchase their own insurance.
No State can design their exchanges differently .
Incomes below the poverty level get Medicaid .
Incomes below 400 percent of the poverty level get subsidies to help pay the cost of insurance.
Millions are living and suffering with out Medical Coverage, yet some bitch about having Medical Coverage.
Our country has so much wealth (in the hands of so few) and so many, who make that wealth happen, who are struggling and Health is like “rolling the dice” – if you get sick, without health insurance like 55 million were before Obamacare, you were likely to lose your home, your savings, and your retirement, like the One Million families every year that declare bankruptcy, from Medical Bills. These families do Not talk about it much, in fact, most do not know about a family going through hard times because of medical bills as it has the “Stigma of Failure” – aka Bankruptcy.
These families just got sick, and wound up Financially in trouble.
We have a health care system that has morphed into a Monopoly, Fixing Costs at 7% annually with a Network of Computers nationwide, ticking up all Health Care Services and the Health Insurance Cartel is responsible. The CEO of a Southern Health Care Insurance Corporation has put over $1.7 Billion in his bank account over the last decade. His Five Vice Presidents probably $1 Billion each.
Health Care is a Service. Lest we forget that. The only way a Service can increase Profit is to “Fix Prices” and the Insurance Companies captured all the Independent Health Care Providers and the result, the highest cost Health Care Service in the World at 17% of GDP and 37th in Quality Care and lower Life Expectancies and we Compete with Countries around the world that have less cost, and better health care.
Obamacare is Not perfect, but a start and our country needs to get going before we all have people, friends and relatives experience what the One Million families in the USA experience, Financial Disaster from getting Sick.
I visit other countries in my travels, and I make it a point to “sit across the table and have a coke, coffee or beer” and ask, how do you like your health care, Universal coverage for all like in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Germany etc.
All these countries have a “Single Payor” or hybrid, a Public Plan and a Private Plan. The cost varies but in Australia it is based on income, 1.5% of taxable income, report $50,000 a year in income, Public Health Care premium is $62.50 (Australian Dollar = US Dollar in purchasing power). 60% of all in Australia’s 22 million are on the public plan, and the Optional Private Plan is $350 a month for a family of four.
All Medical Services are Not perfect anywhere. But the “Spin” and “Lies” from the Corporate Health Care Services Industry are filling our heads with Phony information.
I know that not everyone gets a chance to travel overseas, but if you run into an Australian, a German, A Canadian, a New Zealander, ask them about their health care. They will not tell you unless you ask.
Here is the One Million family Medical Services Bankrupty facts a few years ago:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/06/04/us-healthcare-bankruptcy-idUSTRE5530Y020090604
Here is how Australia addressed their Health Care Costs with a Single Payor system, 60% Public and 40% Private Insurance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IQGcUvdZTM&feature=related
The $1 Billion spent by the Health Care Services Monopoly to defeat Obamacare, took its toll but now that every trick to go back to the Good Ol Days of CEO $170 Million paychecks like the 31 bills from the Republicans in Congress to repeal Obamacare that failed and surprisingly the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare.
We all don’t like paying Insurance for anything. However, if you get sick, without health insurance, you will pay one way or the other unless you have No Assets.
Having to resort to a national Health Care system has Nothing to do with Socialism or the Government telling us what to do. It has to do with the Manipulation by a Monopoly, Health Care from Providers, Drug Companies, Billing Services and Insurance Company “Fixing Price Increases at 7% annually over 30 plus years” and No one big enough to Stop the Price Fixing except, Obamacare. (Last year, the Health Insurance Companies were ordered to return $)ne Billion back to the Insured). I bet that might have angered the Health Insurance CEO’s.
Here are Facts from a pretty good source about Obamacare.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform
Most Health Care Providers know that if something is not done to control costs, they will be out of a job. (Plane Tickets to other countries is cheaper than local prices).
Recently in the hospital.
Medicare was forced on me when I retired. No choice, forced.
Medicare paid nothing.
My secondary insurance paid 80% and my ‘gap’ insurance paid the remainder
Obama says you WILL have insurance. Yes, you obviously didn’t read it.
Right now 6 states have signed onto the federal exchange. 51 states haven’t if we ask Obama about it. Once again, you didn’t read the law did you?
Medicaid is broke, you might not lie what you get. Not all states want Medicaid. I believe Ohio just ducked out when they found the cost was over $17 billlion dollars and they couldn’t afford it.
4 million people died last year ‘with insurance’. Insurance is a scam at best. Oh, Obama says if you’re a smoker and fat, you’re not covered to open another avenue to argue about.
No one is forced? And it’s not a tax in your world either? Dude, I have this bad news to send your way at the speed of “bits and bytes” on your computer. It’s forced.
States are leaving medicaid in large numbers, in case you hadn’t noticed.
Hospitals are being built without ER’s. Same idea.
You can throw all the perfume you want on a skunk, it’s still a skunk and it’s perfume doesn’t go away.
Millions have the ER and abuse it something horrible, just ask the counties in the U.S.
Matt Cover was just the first line in the search, there were a huge number of pages of others to the same remark. c.R. Stucki would have my hide if I published them all for you to dismiss.
Disgusted. KILL THE BS
Medicare is always primary , always . Secondary does not pay the 80 percent, your Medicare does.
Stating medicare paid noting is BS
55 million people in America with out a health car insurance umbrella and you want to make damned sure they never will.
Some Gods servant you are, it begs to question who your God really is.
“Medicare is always primary” TRUE, FORCED, NO CHOICE. Thanks for agreeing with me and it paid NOTHING.
Secondary paid 80%, DUH. If medicare paid nothing, then it didn’t pay 80%. Do you read what you post? Obviously not. Got the paperwork to prove it.
So, with Obamacare law and more people are now uninsured than before and now nobody can afford insurance like the IRS says we have to have and that’s better in your world? Reality is not your strong suit.
Begs the question as to whether you always believe your own lies? Can we send you the bill because your BOY messed things up and badly? Didn’t think so, some gods servant you are, begs the question as to who you serve.
You appear to have lost any defenders and gained a bunch of non-defenders. Not doing well, are we? Sorry, c.R. Stucki, couldn’t resist.
You truly are a idiot Disguted. I should also add not many can equal you insanity and hate.
Post the paper work and prove it.
Defense rests. I’m tired of people who have no clue as to how inane they appear. I have 3 insurances,now why would I have 3 insurances if Medicare is so wonderful and pays for well? DUH.
Post your real name and address and I’ll check you out to see whether I trust you with the information. That’s the way it works on here.
“not many?” can put out hate and insanity? True, Only YOU.
NO, No , NO. You Disgusted Reader, post your real name and address and we will check you out , some could come for a visit.
Ray.M says:
March 13, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Mrs . Conningham.
……
“Why are Congressmen in Washington Dc , who get a life time retirement salary , trying to cut my Social Security and Medicare ?”
Make up your mind, here you claim one thing and in another article you claim the opposite. You’re the one need a check out. So, per YOU, medicare is being cut but when I say Medicare is being cut, I lie and you want to ‘check’ me out? Check yourself, you can’t remember your own taunts.
People who I trust know who I am. You, I’ll never trust.