"Wellness in Nebraska Act" LB887 is Legislative Malpractice

readmorejoe ^ | 02/23/2014 | Joe

[Kolath]

The advent of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has created a number of problems for our state that did not exist prior to that legislation, in addition to exacerbating most, if not all of the existing issues faced by Nebraskans.

We long ago decided as a society to care for those who could not care for themselves. This deference to the needs of the vulnerable is a hallmark of our social contract and has been a driver of public policy for more than a century. It is the foundation of our entire social services system.

For more than a century the issue hasn’t been “should we,” but rather “how can we” best utilize taxpayer dollars to ensure an acceptable level of care for this population. The problem however, is in defining this population and determining the meaning of “acceptable” as it relates to our responsibilities under our social contract.

The argument over the ACA will not be resolved by what we do here, in the Unicameral, but we will determine the direction our state will take for the next decade or two, and that decision will be among the most consequential choices ever made in our state. We cannot fail to choose wisely.