High Risk Health Insurance Pools Spawn Opposition
Even before healthcare reform legislation passed Congress, states threatened to sue over what they considered an unconscionable violation of states' rights by the federal government.
Once it became law, nearly 20 states kept their word.
Their objections are currently pending in a district court, and may reach the Supreme Court.
The major objections circle around the individual health insurance mandate.
That particular provision requires that people either buy health coverage or pay a penalty.
Although the Obama administration claims that the commerce clause of the Constitution gives it the right to regulate interstate purchases, opponents believe that the government has never forced its residents to buy anything.
Now, there is a new wrinkle in the debate.
Georgia's insurance commissioner has decided to defy the federal request that each state create its own high-risk health insurance pool.
Such a pool is intended as a stop-gap measure to provide more affordable health insurance coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.
The pools will exist until 2014, when all health insurers will be banned from denying coverage based on health status.
John W.
Oxendine has stated that he refuses to get the state involved in what he considers to be an unconstitutional and costly program.
Some accuse the Republican of taking such a stance for political reasons, but he denies it.
$5 billion has been allocated to states in order to enact the health insurance pool until the end of 2013.
Each state has until the end of this month to decide how, or if, they will create their own pools.
Such pools already exist in some states, bit Oxendine claims that he has spoken with a handful of governors and insurance commissioners from other states who agree with his viewpoint.
What will Georgia residents for pre-existing conditions do now? Ironically, the federal government will take over where states refuse to get involved.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius will be in charge of administering the national high-risk health insurance plan.
Once it became law, nearly 20 states kept their word.
Their objections are currently pending in a district court, and may reach the Supreme Court.
The major objections circle around the individual health insurance mandate.
That particular provision requires that people either buy health coverage or pay a penalty.
Although the Obama administration claims that the commerce clause of the Constitution gives it the right to regulate interstate purchases, opponents believe that the government has never forced its residents to buy anything.
Now, there is a new wrinkle in the debate.
Georgia's insurance commissioner has decided to defy the federal request that each state create its own high-risk health insurance pool.
Such a pool is intended as a stop-gap measure to provide more affordable health insurance coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.
The pools will exist until 2014, when all health insurers will be banned from denying coverage based on health status.
John W.
Oxendine has stated that he refuses to get the state involved in what he considers to be an unconstitutional and costly program.
Some accuse the Republican of taking such a stance for political reasons, but he denies it.
$5 billion has been allocated to states in order to enact the health insurance pool until the end of 2013.
Each state has until the end of this month to decide how, or if, they will create their own pools.
Such pools already exist in some states, bit Oxendine claims that he has spoken with a handful of governors and insurance commissioners from other states who agree with his viewpoint.
What will Georgia residents for pre-existing conditions do now? Ironically, the federal government will take over where states refuse to get involved.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius will be in charge of administering the national high-risk health insurance plan.
