Health Care Exchanges
State Rep. Paul Opsommer released the following statement at the conclusion of a recent joint hearing between the House Health Policy Committee and House Appropriations Subcommittee regarding ‘health care exchanges’ required by the federal individual healthcare mandate:
“During my time in office I have had to deal with the effects of several burdensome federal laws, many of which have been hijacked by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. that change the intent of Congress and overstep their constitutional bounds. In many cases, illusory partnerships with the states are given lip service, while in actuality the federal government takes a ‘my way or the highway’ approach and uses artificial deadlines to try to bully the states into compliance.
“As we look at federal healthcare, I think we need to learn from these lessons and exercise caution. One such example is with the federal REAL ID program, a program that contained ‘final rules’ that had too much ambiguity and uncertainty in them, required states to meet benchmarks that they couldn’t meet even if they wanted to and had constantly changing requirements and deadlines. Michigan has served itself well by letting other states be the willing guinea pigs for REAL ID, and in instances where Michigan has waded into those waters we have paid a heavy price in regards to cost and liberty. A recent report by Michigan’s auditor general showed that the state wasted as much as $35 million in part by trying to reach REAL ID benchmarks in an attempt to keep the federal government happy, and as a result we have hundreds of boxes of unopened and unusable computer equipment sitting wasted in warehouses.
“From what I heard in committee, there is an ocean of uncertainty on why there is truly any need to go forward now with a government healthcare exchange, but the one thing I do feel certain about after today is that all of this is very reminiscent of the mistaken trust we placed in regards to REAL ID, Enhanced Driver’s Licenses, and other federal programs I have had to deal with as chair of the House Transportation Committee. The illusion of the federal government wanting to partner with the state, and letting the state make a customized program, is just that, an illusion, with the reality being that the federal government will mandate a cookie-cutter approach regardless of the name it’s given.
“I look forward to more hearings on this matter, but it would be wise for us to keep our eyes open and to look towards the future on this issue through the light of the lamp of past history.”