Fix Health Care Policy

Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gave seven more states “conditional approval” to operate state-run Obamacare exchanges.

The announcement came two days after the deadline for HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to determine which states will be ready to run their own exchanges in 2014. So it appears HHS was dressing up its numbers by granting conditional approval to more states—including ones that, in the end, will likely prove either unwilling or unable to set up state-run exchanges.

A handy summary table compiled by the Kaiser Foundation shows that exactly half (25) of the states are a firm “no.” As for the other half, HHS has so far granted conditional approval to 19 of the 21 states that submitted a blueprint for creating an exchange. The two others are Illinois and Mississippi. Mississippi’s governor wrote Sebelius on December 28 restating his opposition and informing her that Mississippi’s insurance department does not have legal authority to continue pursuing its plan for setting up an exchange on its own. The remaining four states have expressed some interest but have not yet even submitted blueprints.

Read the rest on The Foundry…

Tags: conditional approval, HHS, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, ObamaCare, opposed, state health insurance exchanges

Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its proposed regulations for the Obamacare version of health insurance exchanges. State lawmakers are a key audience for these regulations, which is why HHS wrapped its announcement in talk of “state flexibility.”

In truth, the proposed regulations don’t give states any additional flexibility beyond what they are permitted under Obamacare anyway, and in some places they may further limit state lawmakers’ options.

For example, state lawmakers are particularly concerned about how Obamacare gives the exchanges control over Medicaid eligibility. Some are considering establishing an exchange mainly to retain state control over Medicaid by requiring the exchange to contract with their states’ Medicaid offices to determine eligibility—something explicitly provided for in the Obamacare statute. (Read the rest on The Foundry…)

Tags: flexibility, HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius, Medicaid, ObamaCare, regulations, state health insurance exchanges

While economic growth remains sluggish, the last thing the United States needs is another weight holding it back. Unfortunately, the new health care subsidy program created under Obamacare for low- and middle-income Americans does precisely that.

In recent research, Heritage’s Paul Winfree lays out exactly how the Obamacare subsidies will negatively impact the economy. According to Winfree, “tax subsidies are available for certain households who purchase federally approved coverage in the newly created state health insurance exchanges…unless they are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid or they can receive coverage through their employer that meets standards established in Obamacare.”  (Read the rest on The Foundry…)

Tags: ObamaCare, repeal the law, sluggish economy, state health insurance exchanges