Obama backs Senator Scott Brown's mandate opt-out bill

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In remarks to the National Governors Association, Mr. Obama said he supported legislation that would allow states to obtain waivers from the mandate as soon as it took effect in 2014, as long as they could find another way to expand coverage without driving up health care costs.

...

The bipartisan legislation that Mr. Obama is now embracing was first proposed in November, eight months after the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, by Senators Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, and Scott Brown, Republican of Massachusetts.

The legislation would allow states to opt out earlier from a range of requirements, including the mandate, if they could demonstrate that other methods would allow them to cover as many people, with insurance that is as comprehensive and affordable, as provided by the new law. The changes must also not increase the federal deficit.

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In Vermont, Gov. Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, is exploring the idea of using a waiver to create a so-called single-payer system, a government-run health care plan.

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/us/politics/01health.html

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It's a brilliant move because he's basically saying it doesn't matter how we get there (Fed vs. State), as long as we have health coverage for everyone that doesn't add to the deficit. It's a sort of, put up or shut up to the states that have been challenging the mandate.

Edited March 1, 2011 by 8TBVBN

[Zero Sum 305]

Maybe the unintended side effect will be that if States get in on the game, the competition would drive administrative costs down on what the customer pays. Win-Win. Freedom crybabies would have to shut it mostly.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Maybe the unintended side effect will be that if States get in on the game, the competition would drive administrative costs down on what the customer pays. Win-Win. Freedom crybabies would have to shut it mostly.

Sounds like a Libertarian wet dream.