ObamaCare Moving Forward in Pennsylvania
Lemoyne (12.19.11) – Over the weekend Dr. Nick Pandelidis, Vice President of the PA Chapter of Doctors for Patient Care brought the following to our attention:
"Governor Corbett recently (and very quietly) decided to move ahead with a federally approved health insurance exchange for Pennsylvania. This move serves to legitimize ObamaCare (PPACA). There were a couple of Insurance Department hearings on this that included testimony from the usual group of suspects , basically unions, insurance companies, hospitals, and every other special interest group hoping for more government subsidies.
So you didn’t know anything about this? You weren’t alone. This stealth advancement of Obamacare was done done with little or no public announcement.
Below is a synopsis of a testimony by Michael Cannon of the Cato institute outlining how moving ahead with exchanges will serve to further entrench ObamaCare.
• First, creating an exchange lends a veneer of legitimacy to the law. The Obama administration heralds the creation of each new exchange as proof that the law is gaining acceptance, and heralds states accepting the federal grants available under the law in the same manner.
• Second, declaring the law unconstitutional but then accepting the funding it offers and creating an exchange undermines the credibility of state officials seeking to overturn the law and also undermines the lawsuits themselves.
• Third, to create an exchange is to create a taxpayer-funded lobbying group dedicated to fighting repeal.
• Fourth, both Congress and the courts are less likely to eliminate actual government bureaucracies that have assembled dedicated constituencies than they are to eliminate theoretical ones.
• Fifth, creating a state-run exchange will hasten the day when the private insurance companies that receive those subsidies plow much of the money back into fighting repeal.
We don’t need a federal or state bureaucracy to promote free market insurance sales. Decreasing mandates and regulations, and allowing group sales across state lines would drive costs down, improve service, and increase options that best fit an individual. We all have done pretty well with our Geico or other auto insurance policies without a federal exchange for auto insurance. This HC exchange in fact does just the opposite. There are so many regulations and mandates, only the largest insurance players would remain. No wonder big insurance has lobbied to move forward."
Don't sit by and let this happen. Call Governor Corbett’s office. Tell him that you don’t want to facilitate implementation of Obamacareby moving ahead with the health insurance exchange which is at the heart of the Obamacare entitlement. Call your state representative and senator and tell them the same. Let them know that you are opposed to this new Health Care Exchange and support free market reforms.
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