Having failed to repeal Obamacare, Republicans refuse to implement it

[ProSense]

Having failed to repeal Obamacare, Republicans refuse to implement it

Posted by Greg Sargent

Republicans failed to block Obamacare in Congress. Their argument to overturn Obamacare as unconstitutional failed before the Supreme Court. They failed to elect a president to repeal the law. The drive to block or kill Obamacare failed in Congress, failed in the courts, and failed at the ballot box. Obamacare is here to stay.

Which leaves Republicans only one remaining way to scuttle the law — do everything they can to ensure that it fails. And so, many Republicans on the state level are refusing to implement it by refusing to set up exchanges — thus ensuring that the federal government sets them up instead.

Today we’ve hit a critical moment in that effort:

The vast majority of Republican-led states, faced with a Friday deadline to submit plans for running the insurance exchanges at the heart of the law, have opted instead to relinquish much or all of their control to the federal government.

Just 18 states and the District say they plan to operate their own exchanges, which are slated to begin enrollment in October. In an additional 32 states, the exchanges will be run either entirely by the federal government or a federal-state partnership.

It’s now official: In well over half of the states, local governments will relinquish all or some control over implementation of a law that will impact untold numbers of their own constituents. In so doing, they are reducing, rather than increasing, control over what happens in their own states — all in the name of states’ rights.

- more -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2012/12/14/having-failed-to-repeal-obamacare-republicans-refuse-to-implement-it/

GOP state leaders fumble by ceding control of health exchanges to federal officials, critics say

By N.C. Aizenman

Republicans frequently denounce the health-care law as a dangerous overreach of federal power. But now Washington’s role is expanding, and some conservatives charge that Republicans have only themselves to blame.

- more -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/critics-blast-gop-state-lawmakers-for-giving-control-of-insurance-exchanges-to-federal-officials/2012/12/13/a638a4f8-452d-11e2-8061-253bccfc7532_story.html

[aquart]

1. Heh, heh, heh.

Single-payer.

[ProSense]

4. It'll speed things up

As it stands, a few states opting to run their own exchanges, like Vermont, will move to single payer when the waivers kick in.

[BlueCaliDem]

2. Republicans prove, beyond any doubt (and this isn't hyperbole) that they're sore losers

of the lowest kind.

That said, it's a good thing that the Federal Gov't is coming in to set up the exchanges for those clueless Republican voters since Republicans will mess it up anyhow. The ONLY thing they're good at is suppressing the people and catering to the rich, so it stands to good reason that it's a good thing that they're allowing the Federal government to come in and set up the exchanges correctly.

[ProSense]

3. They don't want to be seen

as cooperating with the President.

Oh well!

[DreamGypsy]

5. Republicans prove, beyond any doubt (and this isn't hyperbole) that they are totally incompetent...

The Republican led state governments realized that they have no ability, as well as little interest, in administering a program that is actually intended to serve and benefit the populations of their states. Rather than have the corruption, graft, high cost, waste, and generally dismal failure of their state run exchanges be contrasted with the federal program, they wisely tucked tails between their legs and asked to go outside.

(thanks, BlueCaliDem, for the borrowed tag line )

[ProSense]

6. Exactly. n/t