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Now that Republicans hold most of the Federal Government (House, Senate, SCOTUS) cards, will Republican Governor Rick Scott and Florida's Republican Legislature screw over the 4½ million Floridians that have signed up for, or are eligible for Obamacare (AKA, ACA) or are eligible for Medicaid expansion?
Will Republican Governors and legislatures feel emboldened to further screw over their constituencies?
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20141113/OPINION/311139999/-1/news?p=1&tc=pg
November 13, 2014
The health care debate in Florida has largely focused on the question of whether to expand Medicaid eligibility, as proposed under the federal Affordable Care Act.
The U.S. Supreme Court has broadened that issue with its recent decision to accept a case that asks if the subsidized health insurance policies obtained through the ACA's federal exchange violate specific language in the law.
Now, the question for Gov. Rick Scott and the Legislature is not just whether to expand Medicaid but whether to establish a Florida exchange.
There are solid ethical and financial reasons to do both, if the Republican leader and lawmakers can leave politics aside.
The court's ruling, expected next June, could potentially impact millions of Americans who signed up for private insurance via the federal exchange, HealthCare.gov, because their states declined to set up their own exchanges. Only subsidies obtained through the federal exchange are at risk; subsidized policies sold through the state exchanges would not be affected.
Florida is one of 36 states without an exchange, but about a million Floridians went to HealthCare.gov to get insurance. More than 90 percent of them qualified for subsidies that make their premiums affordable.
These are not incidental subsidies. A federal report last June found that the average monthly premium for policies obtained under the ACA is $347 a month, but that the average Florida enrollee pays just $68 a month after the subsidy is applied.
If the Supreme Court rules against the federal exchange's subsidies, most of those 1 million Floridians are likely to drop their health insurance.
They would join the 2.5 million state residents who are eligible for policies under the ACA but have not enrolled. Many of them could sign up during this year's enrollment period, which begins Saturday.
Add the million or so Floridians who would benefit from Medicaid expansion -- because they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid now, but too little to qualify for ACA subsidies -- and you have the makings of a health-care and economic crisis.
But this looming crisis is not only unnecessary. It's foolish.
Having more people with health insurance is just common sense -- for Florida and Floridians. Here's why:
Get the rest of the article ☞ here
.
Now that Republicans hold most of the Federal Government (House, Senate, SCOTUS) cards, will Republican Governor Rick Scott and Florida's Republican Legislature screw over the 4½ million Floridians that have signed up for, or are eligible for Obamacare (AKA, ACA) or are eligible for Medicaid expansion?
Will Republican Governors and legislatures feel emboldened to further screw over their constituencies?
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20141113/OPINION/311139999/-1/news?p=1&tc=pg
November 13, 2014
The health care debate in Florida has largely focused on the question of whether to expand Medicaid eligibility, as proposed under the federal Affordable Care Act.
The U.S. Supreme Court has broadened that issue with its recent decision to accept a case that asks if the subsidized health insurance policies obtained through the ACA's federal exchange violate specific language in the law.
Now, the question for Gov. Rick Scott and the Legislature is not just whether to expand Medicaid but whether to establish a Florida exchange.
There are solid ethical and financial reasons to do both, if the Republican leader and lawmakers can leave politics aside.
The court's ruling, expected next June, could potentially impact millions of Americans who signed up for private insurance via the federal exchange, HealthCare.gov, because their states declined to set up their own exchanges. Only subsidies obtained through the federal exchange are at risk; subsidized policies sold through the state exchanges would not be affected.
Florida is one of 36 states without an exchange, but about a million Floridians went to HealthCare.gov to get insurance. More than 90 percent of them qualified for subsidies that make their premiums affordable.
These are not incidental subsidies. A federal report last June found that the average monthly premium for policies obtained under the ACA is $347 a month, but that the average Florida enrollee pays just $68 a month after the subsidy is applied.
If the Supreme Court rules against the federal exchange's subsidies, most of those 1 million Floridians are likely to drop their health insurance.
They would join the 2.5 million state residents who are eligible for policies under the ACA but have not enrolled. Many of them could sign up during this year's enrollment period, which begins Saturday.
Add the million or so Floridians who would benefit from Medicaid expansion -- because they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid now, but too little to qualify for ACA subsidies -- and you have the makings of a health-care and economic crisis.
But this looming crisis is not only unnecessary. It's foolish.
Having more people with health insurance is just common sense -- for Florida and Floridians. Here's why:
Get the rest of the article ☞ here
.
