Politically-controlled Colorado health benefits exchange bill reaches Senate
Colorado Senate Bill 11-200 advances to the state Senate without the provision that “would nullify the bill unless the state is allowed to opt out of the federal Affordable Care Act,” reports the Denver Business Journal
Do private insurance exchanges already exist?
The Denver Post has quoted Colo. state rep Amy Stephens as saying that “Most people viewed exchanges as the most free-market part of Obamacare.” But viewing state-run exchanges as somehow free-market is also wrong because privately-run exchanges already exist.
Why States Are Shying Away From ObamaCare’s Health Insurance Exchanges
State legislators who oppose [ObamaCare] might nonetheless be tempted to try building and running the exchanges themselves. But there are a number of reasons why governors in that position might want to sit out the implementation process.
State insurance exchanges will only allow ObamaCare’s roots to grow, make repeal more difficult
“Governors like [Georgia governor Nathan] Deal and [Louisiana governor Bobby] Jindal know that any exchange can only serve as fertilizer that will allow Obamacare’s roots to grow deeper into the soil – and making repeal more difficult.” – John Graham
Amendment for ObamaCare waiver stalls Colo. Health Insurance Exchange, SB 11-200
Reps. Amy Stephens and Shawn Mitchell stall the CO health insurance exchange bill (SB 11-200) with amendment that requires a waiver from ObamaCare mandates before exchange can be implemented.
Senate Bill 11-200: The Colorado Health Benefit Exchange
Colo. SB 11-200 “proposes to create an unaccountable bureaucracy.” “The [Exchange] Board could … support legislation compelling exchange membership, payment of its fees/taxes on health insurance. … the bill allows the Exchange Board to create a monopoly insurance broker w/ unlimited taxing power. “
Colorado Health Insurance Exchange bound to be strangled by federal controls
“[A] fire hose of [federal] subsidies explains why it is far more likely that Obamacare will corrupt Utah[‘s exchange] than Utah will manage to redeem Obamacare,” writes John Graham. The same applies to Colorado.
Joan Henneberry & Colorado’s health insurance exchange
John Hickenlooper has appointed Joan Henneberry to head the creation of Colorado’s health insurance exchange. Gregg Girvan of the Heritage Foundation has spoken highly of Utah’s apparently market-friendly exchange. But John Graham of the Pacific Research Institute warns against this: “If Obamacare persists, exchanges will become bloated administrative nightmares.”
Should states oppose ObamaCare’s insurance exchanges?
States establishing Obamacare exchanges are making a one-way, lose-lose bet. If Obamacare persists, exchanges will become bloated administrative nightmares. If Obamacare is defeated, states will have wasted time and energy that should have been directed towards that effort. Obamacare is President Obama’s problem. Don’t make it your state’s, too.
Utah’s voluntary health insurance exchange
From the Texas Policy Foundation:
State governments will face many new challenges and responsibilities under the recently passed federal health care legislation – one of the first being the creation of a state health insurance exchange. Massachusetts‘ state-subsidized exchange was the model for President Obama’s plan, and the Bay State is now grappling with surging premiums […]
