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An ObamaCare Appeal From the States
The Wall Street Journal ^ | FEBRUARY 7, 2011. | MITCH DANIELS

Posted on 02/08/2011 3:13:52 AM PST by Scanian

Unless you're in favor of a fully nationalized health-care system, the president's health-care reform law is a massive mistake. It will amplify all the big drivers of overconsumption and excessive pricing: "Why not, it's free?" reimbursement; "The more I do, the more I get" provider payment; and all the defensive medicine the trial bar's ingenuity can generate.

All claims made for it were false. It will add trillions to the federal deficit. It will lead to a de facto government takeover of health care faster than most people realize, and as millions of Americans are added to the Medicaid rolls and millions more employees (including, watch for this, workers of bankrupt state governments) are dumped into the new exchanges.

Many of us governors are hoping for either a judicial or legislative rescue from this impending disaster, and recent court decisions suggest there's a chance of that. But we can't count on a miracle—that's only permitted in Washington policy making. We have no choice but to prepare for the very real possibility that the law takes effect in 2014.

For state governments, the bill presents huge new costs, as we are required to enroll 15 million to 20 million more people in our Medicaid systems. In Indiana, our independent actuaries have pegged the price to state taxpayers at $2.6 billion to $3 billion over the next 10 years. This is a huge burden for our state, and yet another incremental expenditure the law's authors declined to account for truthfully.

Perhaps worse, the law expects to conscript the states as its agents in its takeover of health care. It assumes that we will set up and operate its new insurance "exchanges" for it,using our current welfare apparatuses to do the numbingly complex work of figuring out who is eligible for its subsidies,

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: deficit; disaster; exchanges; falseclaims; governors; massivemistake; newcosts; sebelius; trainwreck

1 posted on 02/08/2011 3:13:55 AM PST by Scanian
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To: Scanian

Wait until the public sees the massive retirements and resignations of physicians. There won’t be very many doctors left to treat the masses. Health care will lock up and nobody will be able to receive treatment no matter who pays the bills.


2 posted on 02/08/2011 4:05:39 AM PST by NoControllingLegalAuthority (What this country needs is an enema.)
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To: NoControllingLegalAuthority

And once that happens, we can look forward to a steady diet of limited-English Pakis and Hindus to grunt at us as they deliver the very best in 3rd World care.


3 posted on 02/08/2011 4:09:33 AM PST by Scanian
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To: Scanian

Bump


4 posted on 02/08/2011 4:14:34 AM PST by GlockThe Vote (Who needs Al Queda to worry about when we have Obama?)
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To: Scanian

Am I paranoid to think this is an effort by the feds to completely bankrupt every state? If that happens then each state will come begging and give up every right the constitution has given them. Every federal program has a cost attached to it, states are insane to endorse this plan, as they are already struggling.


5 posted on 02/08/2011 4:41:17 AM PST by momincombatboots (In a few months I will be Ore..Gone! Look out Crater Lake, here we come!)
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To: Scanian
They hear ‘free’ and they think ‘that's right’. They have NO IDEA how much extra in taxes for EVERYBODY this will cost, and how little healthcare they will get for the money. Oh, and the taxpayers will be paying the tuition for those who go to Medical School, too. You don't really think future Doctors will pay exorbitant tuition to make peanuts when they are done, do you?
6 posted on 02/08/2011 4:41:44 AM PST by originalbuckeye
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To: originalbuckeye

I tried explaining to morons supporting MadoffCare that their state taxes are going to skyrocket due to the massive Medicaid mandates on the States, and they all refused to listen.


7 posted on 02/08/2011 5:47:00 AM PST by GlockThe Vote (Who needs Al Queda to worry about when we have Obama?)
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To: Scanian

I’m not so sure about all the Hindu doctors coming over here for the Obama government wage. They will likely do better staying home, as India becomes the world’s #1 destination for medical tourism.


8 posted on 02/08/2011 7:12:48 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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