General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsACA: How Republicans unwittingly encouraged growth of the Federal Option
HealthCare.gov was originally conceived as a just-in-case alternative that would kick in if a state could not or would not build its own health reform enrollment system. The law didnt even set aside money to build the federal site, let alone operate it indefinitely. Even when red states shunned a role in running Obamacare and a handful of blue states also turned to Washington, the federal system was still seen as a short-term bridge to a state-based system.
Not anymore. After its fiasco of a start, HealthCare.gov is working. No one is pushing states with successful programs, like California and New York, to switch. But there are only a few of those. Most of the other states are in HealthCare.gov. And theyre staying put rather than start their own exchange.
Why would any governor or legislature in their right mind step forward at this point and say maybe
thats a good idea? wondered John McDonough, a former aide to Sen. Ted Kennedy who worked on health reform in both Washington and Massachusetts.
In theory, states can still tap into virtually unlimited funding to create exchanges. But a number of state officials say the administration has signaled that it doesnt want to keep pouring millions into broken state systems. A spokesman for CMS, which oversees Obamacare exchanges, said only that states should choose whatever path that they believe best meets the needs of their consumers and insurance market.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/republicans-obamacare-states-healthcare-gov-107290.html#ixzz33T0j6MDv
Cha
(295,929 posts)cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)It will get real.
supernova
(39,345 posts)they are talking themselves into a publicly financed public option to go along with the federally administered exchange.
But then again, Repubs are dumb like that.
Wonder if we can apply the same principle to whittling down the MIC?
AllyCat
(16,039 posts)Into states who set up exchanges and they didn't work out? So much for states' rights these GOPpers love so much. Of course, there is no investigation into the states that failed completely by not setting up exchanges at all.