Exchanges - Change to Model?

Yagents

Guru
5000 Post Club
12,094
Arizona
Where is this all going?:

1. More robust, private, consumer driven model?
2. Reduced regs and repub model provides opportunity for agents in state gov exchange?
3. HHS comes in and takes over admin for 21 state exchanges?
--------------------------------------

Politico (2/8, Kliff) reports, "Republican governors want HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to make specific changes to the new health exchanges, and have threatened to pull back on running their own exchanges if their demands are not met." They wrote to Sebelius saying, "While we hope for your endorsement, if you do not agree, we will move forward with our own efforts regardless and HHS should begin making plans to run exchanges under its own auspices." In response to the letter, HHS spokeswoman Jessica Santillo said that since the healthcare law "was enacted, HHS has made resources available to the states to both plan and establish exchanges and made clear we will consider different models that fit states' needs. We look forward to continuing to build a constructive partnership with governors and state leaders."
The Hill (2/8, Millman) reports in its "Healthwatch" blog that the "21 Republican governors recommended six major improvements for state-run exchanges that would give the states more decision power," such as "the choice of which insurers can offer products; waive mandates and allow states to choose benefit rules; waive provisions discriminating against consumer-driven health plans, such as health savings accounts; allow the flexibility to move non-disabled Medicaid beneficiaries into exchanges; deliver a plan for verifying incomes and subsidy amounts for exchange participants; and commission a 'new and objective' assessment of how many people will enroll in exchanges and Medicaid as a result of the reform."
 
What's going on? The opposition to PPACA is pushing all the buttons, especially the vulnerable ones. Obama administration knows that most states oppose PPACA. States are an untapped power. Right now 26 states won their first round in court. States could call a constitutional convention. Obama would be better off to bargain with the states. After all, their biggest concern is the COST to their own budgets for implementing his style of healthcare reform. The reason they pushed the "mandate is unconstitutional" button is because it was the most vulnerable. They are really angry at the cost shift to state budgets, equally as much as they are angry about the whole idea of Obamacare. States know they have Obama around the knees, and they are trying to get as much out of it as possible. Unfortunately, if Obama compromises for states, he might entice a few of them to drop their opposition...

As it stands right now, if the states don't institute the exchange, the federal govt will, which is bad news for those of us who live in conservative states. But that's right now... The states are saying they want FULL rights to run or not run exchanges as they see fit.
 
I hope that the opposing states don't end up getting screwed. Those dems governors are going full throttle with their state exchanges. Those rep governors are not. They are doubling down. If Obamacrap goes through, these states will not have state based exchanges, and have to deal with a national exchange. I'm guessing a state based exchange will be friendlier to agents than a national exchange.
 
Here are the 21 states that signed the letter:
Governor Robert J. Bentley
Alabama
Governor Nathan Deal
Georgia
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter
Idaho
Governor Mitch Daniels
Indiana
Governor Terry E. Branstad
Iowa
Governor Sam Brownback
Kansas
Governor Bobby Jindal
Louisiana
Governor Paul R. LePage
Maine
Governor Haley Barbour
Mississippi
Governor David Heineman
Nebraska
Governor Brian Sandoval
Nevada
Governor Susana Martinez
New Mexico
Governor John R. Kasich
Ohio
Governor Mary Fallin
Oklahoma
Governor Tom Corbett
Pennsylvania
Governor Nikki Haley
South Carolina
Governor Dennis Daugaard
South Dakota
Governor Bill Haslam
Tennessee
Governor Rick Perry
Texas
Governor Gary R. Herbert
Utah
Governor Scott Walker
Wisconsin
 
Back
Top