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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Walker creates "Business Uncertainty" by delaying implementation of Health Care Exchanges.

It’s just bad state management that attacks and blames its employees for their shortcomings, or loses track of millions of dollars through Scott Walker’s flagship jobs agency, WEDC.

Now we’re finding out Walker didn’t even begin planning for the Affordable Care Act’s health care exchanges. What, no contingent plan just in case Mitt Romney lost? Nothing.

This should not be lost on taxpayers, the media or given a pass by minority Democrats in the legislature.
WKOW: Since President Barack Obama won re-election … the state has to notify the federal government by November 16 about how it will implement a health care exchange or whether it will let the government do it. Governor Scott Walker said he'll meet with state officials over the next few days to decide on a plan.

"We haven't made a decision yet. It's one of three options; it's either a federally run exchange, a state-run exchange or a partnership. No matter what account, there's an exchange. The law will be upheld here. The question, ultimately, from our standpoint is, 'What option is best for the taxpayers in the state of Wisconsin?'"
Of course, Democrats were pushing the idea that planning ahead, just in case Obama won, would have been the responsible thing to do:

Fox6: State Representative Jon Richards (D – Milwaukee) said he believes this could have been avoided … “We should have a plan in place that should have been drafted in public with input from small businesses and everyone else for a health care marketplace.”

Jsonline: "They (the federal government) won't review that until as late as January," Walker said of the proposal. "Even after notifying them, we have until next fall to make modifications as we see fit."

But critics such as Bobby Peterson, head of the Madison nonprofit ABC for Health, say the state is squandering an opportunity to adapt its exchange to the needs of Wisconsin residents and businesses ... "If they (have to) put something in, it'll be rushed. They admit it doesn't have stakeholder input and it'd be a halfhearted effort, and that's too bad."
And finally, I can't help but include this sobering bottom line assessment from Dr. Robert Kraig from Citizen Action of Wisconsin, who appeared on Sly in theMorning’s radio program. If Medicaid (Badgercare) isn't expanded, the state could lose $3 billion over a 10 year period, because Walker, for purely ideological reasons, will turn it down. I wonder how tightwad conservative voters will feel about that? 

1 comment:

  1. "Uncertainty" means "My handlers at A L E C have talked it over and the best way to maintain the public hysteria we need to further our agenda is to continue to slow the creation of jobs and blame it on Obama."
    Free market would be nice.. this collusion smacks of well, collusion. Anti Trust act anyone?

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