Georgia takes on ObamaCare

Sunday, March 27, 2011

With most of the states rightly having joined lawsuits to keep ObamaCare socialized medicine from taking effect, it is encouraging that Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has taken the additional step of opposing legislation in his state that would begin the gradual imposition of ObamaCare.

The federal law - which was approved exclusively by Democrats in Congress - supposedly gives states flexibility to design their own insurance markets. Proposed legislation in Georgia would have started that process.

But the states still would be under federal dictation of medical care, because the so-called health insurance "exchanges" that ObamaCare allows would still require federal approval. So even if a state tailored an exchange in a way that would work well in that state, Washington could still veto it! The ObamaCare exchanges would also have to have standardized benefits - rather than recognizing that not every consumer needs the same type of coverage, and letting the market drive the types of benefits offered under various plans.

When word spread that the Georgia General Assembly was considering legislation to set up the ObamaCare exchange, opponents promptly contacted state lawmakers and the governor's office. Agreeing with the governor that the state legislation would help ObamaCare take root, lawmakers properly shelved the bill.

Deal's office, moreover, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attempt to saddle the American people with costly ObamaCare:

"The governor understands Georgians' suspicions about any legislation associated with Obamacare," the statement read. "He shares their opposition to the federal takeover of health care. ... If Georgia must have an insurance exchange under federal law, the governor wants to ensure that our exchange is established and run by Georgians. The alternative is having an exchange established by and run by Washington bureaucrats."

Georgia is among the majority of states that are suing to block ObamaCare from taking effect, and a leader of the Atlanta Tea Party and the Georgia Tea Party Patriots said states should not send mixed signals by implementing portions of ObamaCare while at the same time suing to stop it.

"You don't win battles by waving the white flag with one hand and continuing to fight with the other hand," Debbie Dooley told The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

What's more, it does not make sense for Georgia and other states to take the expensive step of implementing various parts of ObamaCare prematurely when the law may yet be overturned. Some federal courts have ruled all or part of ObamaCare unconstitutional, while others have said it is constitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately have to settle that question, and putting ObamaCare into effect sooner than absolutely required could be a huge waste of money if it is eventually overturned.

Georgians, Tennesseans and all other Americans do indeed have good cause for "suspicions" about impractical, expensive, government-bloating ObamaCare. They should use all lawful means at their disposal to defeat it.

The federal law - which was approved exclusively by Democrats in Congress - supposedly gives states flexibility to design their own insurance markets. Proposed legislation in Georgia would have started that process.

But the states still would be under federal dictation of medical care, because the so-called health insurance "exchanges" that ObamaCare allows would still require federal approval. So even if a state tailored an exchange in a way that would work well in that state, Washington could still veto it! The ObamaCare exchanges would also have to have standardized benefits - rather than recognizing that not every consumer needs the same type of coverage, and letting the market drive the types of benefits offered under various plans.

When word spread that the Georgia General Assembly was considering legislation to set up the ObamaCare exchange, opponents promptly contacted state lawmakers and the governor's office. Agreeing with the governor that the state legislation would help ObamaCare take root, lawmakers properly shelved the bill.

Deal's office, moreover, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attempt to saddle the American people with costly ObamaCare:

"The governor understands Georgians' suspicions about any legislation associated with Obamacare," the statement read. "He shares their opposition to the federal takeover of health care. ... If Georgia must have an insurance exchange under federal law, the governor wants to ensure that our exchange is established and run by Georgians. The alternative is having an exchange established by and run by Washington bureaucrats."

Georgia is among the majority of states that are suing to block ObamaCare from taking effect, and a leader of the Atlanta Tea Party and the Georgia Tea Party Patriots said states should not send mixed signals by implementing portions of ObamaCare while at the same time suing to stop it.

"You don't win battles by waving the white flag with one hand and continuing to fight with the other hand," Debbie Dooley told The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

What's more, it does not make sense for Georgia and other states to take the expensive step of implementing various parts of ObamaCare prematurely when the law may yet be overturned. Some federal courts have ruled all or part of ObamaCare unconstitutional, while others have said it is constitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately have to settle that question, and putting ObamaCare into effect sooner than absolutely required could be a huge waste of money if it is eventually overturned.

Georgians, Tennesseans and all other Americans do indeed have good cause for "suspicions" about impractical, expensive, government-bloating ObamaCare. They should use all lawful means at their disposal to defeat it.