hose who thought ObamaCare was set in concrete by Chief Justice John Roberts’ decision last June are in for a shock.
Dec. 14 is the new deadline (extended from Nov. 16) for states to let the feds know, yea or nay, whether or not they will be setting up a health insurance exchange, which is the key to participating in the misnamed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Obama’s belief that the public would warm up to his signature legislation once it became the law of the land has proved false. The current Kaiser Family Foundation poll reports that only 38% of the public approves of ObamaCare.
Sixteen states, including Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio and Missouri, have told the feds they are declining to play ball. They have given notice to the federal government that they are refusing to set up a health exchange, which means it falls to the federal government to set up exchanges for those states.
Only 17 states have committed to set up health exchanges as ObamaCare expected, while the other states are still wrestling with their decision. Republicans and Tea Partyers are encouraging them not to set up an exchange.
Among the good reasons for states to say “no” is that an exchange would cost each state between $10 million and $100 million a year, and that would require unwelcome tax increases. Ohio estimates that setting up its exchange will cost $63 million plus $43 million to run annually.