States Show Resistance to Obamacare

Fred Upton

Even though Obamacare was passed, it has reached significant resistance from Republicans. Their argument is that the new laws will cut people's current insurance plans. On February 16th, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio and Tennessee were given waivers on some of Obama's healthcare laws. 

Representative Fred Upton, Republican of Michigan and chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the waivers showed that the law, approved by Congress without any Republican votes, was “fundamentally flawed.” Without the waivers, Mr. Upton said, hundreds of thousands of people would have lost insurance or experienced a reduction in benefits.

Upton makes a valid point about the reductions, but this may create a ripple effect. If four states want exemption, then others may follow, overturning what has been put into place. From the Democrat side,

Representative Henry A. Waxman of California, the senior Democrat on the committee, said the limited-benefit plans were clearly inadequate. But he said the waivers would allow “a smooth transition between now and 2014,” when insurers and employers will be forbidden to impose limits on the dollar value of benefits.

 Personally, I feel the democrats are allowing this small compromise as not to create more friction when the time comes for all states to accept the change. The misconception is that everything will change overnight, but it takes multiple compromises such as this.