The Hill: President Obama backed a significant change to the healthcare reform law for the first time Monday, supporting a plan that could delay implementation of the unpopular mandate to buy insurance.
Speaking to the nation’s governors, Obama said states should be able to request waivers for implementing alternatives to the reform law starting in 2014, three years earlier than the law allows. [...]
The waiver provision comes with a catch, however. A state’s waiver proposal must show that it is capable of providing coverage that is at least as comprehensive and affordable as that offered through new state-run health insurance exchanges, which also open in 2014. The state must also provide coverage to as many residents as the exchanges would have, and the proposal must not increase the federal deficit.
That is a pretty big catch. Given the requirements, states are only left with the option of creating mini-ObamaCares or variations of RomneyCare. I really get a kick out of the part about not increasing the federal deficit. Even ObamaCare doesn't do that. These individual state schemes will be very, very expensive at a time when states are looking at some serious budget shortfalls.
I have to say I don't like all this waiver action. First for politically well connected companies, then for unions and now for states. Basically, ObamaCare has made all these institutions beholden to the Fed and the Fed can then arbitrarily grant or deny waives. That is way too much power and easily opens the door for political shenanigans.
Via: Memeorandum
Via: The Hill