Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Health Care Navigator Suppression Laws are Just Evil

Thirteen states have passed laws making it extremely difficult, or even illegal, to help uninsured people navigate the new health insurance exchanges.

For example, in Texas, "navigators must have 40 hours of state training in addition to the 20 hours the health care law requires. Republican Gov. Rick Perry 'is even trying to limit the hours of navigator operations from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., which is an extraordinary restriction for ordinary folks who are working for a living who want to buy insurance and get benefits'".

I understand that Republicans and Tea Partiers want to deprive Pres. Obama of major legislative achievement.  They fought tooth and nail when the act was being passed.  They shut down the whole government, at huge expense, to try to prevent Obamacare from starting - to no effect.

But to prevent the good work of helping people get health insurance out of sheer partisanship is very, very wrong.

4 comments:

Mac said...

I know the idea is anathema to liberals--who are always convinced that they know better what is best for me, rather than leaving that decision to me--but there are some things that are out of the jurisdiction of the federal government. Regulation of insurers has ALWAYS been the responsibility of the States. The state insurance commissioners are better able to determine the qualifications of insurance peddlers than is a political appointee in Washington. This is particularly necessary when the people who are "assisting" have no understanding of insurance and are merely paid hacks to make the President look good. You cannot buy property or auto insurance from and unlicensed person--why would anyone want to put one sixth of our economy into the hands of a bunch of hacks?

Mac

Astor Morgan said...

Funny, progressives and centrists usually crave government regulations.

Gruntled said...

Look at the Missouri or Texas statutes. This is not regulation. This is suppression.

Astor Morgan said...

All regulations suppress.