The Warring Messages of the Private Option

May 17, 2013 5 Comments
38643_web_medicaid-signing

At the Saline County TEA Party meeting last week, Rep. Andy Mayberry told his constituents that the struggle over the private option made him feel like he was being forced to jump out of the third story of a burning building: There’s no way, if I just stand there, that I’m going to survive. I’m gonna burn. There’s a window over here that I can choose to jump out of and I might die in that fall. I know I’m going to die if I stay there and don’t do anything. But I might just survive … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Day of Reckoning in Saline County: Who Said It?

May 11, 2013 21 Comments
mystery legislator

Thursday night, the Saline County TEA Party hosted a town meeting so that their members could question the Saline County legislators who had supported the “private option.” About five state legislators representing Saline County attended; at least as many legislators from outside Saline County attended as well. Almost every public official who was there has been a friend of the Advance Arkansas Institute and, in some way, has fought for good-government reforms. But I have become … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature, Gallery, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Five Arguments Against State Obamacare Exchanges

April 18, 2013 3 Comments
EXCHANGES

Yesterday, the state Senate completed a deal to fund Medicaid expansion in Arkansas. Today, they're considering a bill, HB1508, to setup state-run health insurance exchanges. Under Obamacare, states must either setup insurance exchanges or allow the federal government to do so. Two-thirds of states have declined to set one up themselves, thus leaving exchange creation to the feds. The latest paper from the Advance Arkansas Institute outlines five reasons why this is the wrong path for the state … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: , , , , ,

The State of Health Care “Reform” in Arkansas

March 19, 2013 7 Comments
medicaid expansion

Today I went down to the luxurious Capitol cafeteria to hear the Cato Institute’s Michael Cannon speak on the current state of Obamacare implementation in Arkansas. What I learned is that we are dangerously close to becoming part of the Obamacare monstrosity -- but there is hope that the beast can be stopped, and that should be every Arkansan's goal. The answer to stopping Obamacare sounds pretty simple, albeit politically tricky: 1. Don’t expand Medicaid & 2. Don’t create health … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature, Health Care Reform, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Do I Hear Cannon in the Distance?

March 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
Michael Cannon

What’re you doing tomorrow? If you said anything other than “Going to hear Cato Institute’s Michael Cannon speak about health care policy at the capitol cafeteria,” you’re doing it wrong. Cannon (yeah, that guy who told us about the death panels) is a national expert on the effects of Obamacare and the consequences of health care exchanges. He will be speaking at a luncheon hosted by Americans For Prosperity-Arkansas. Here’s the skinny: WHO: Michael Cannon, Cato … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health Care Reform Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Best of the Bad Obamacare Options for Arkansas

December 21, 2012
EXCHANGES

This morning, the Arkansas Legislative Council voted to reject a motion for separate examination of an $18.4 million grant to set up an Obamacare “partnership” or “hybrid” exchange. 17 Republicans voted to have more discussion on the measure which, for some unknown reason, led left-wing blogger Max Brantley to accuse them of “doing a George Wallace massive resistance on health care reform.” A more sober analysis would note that what appears to be Republicans’ preferred option, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arkansas Legislature, Gallery, Health Care Reform Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Arkansas Legislative Council Fails to Block Obamacare Grant

December 21, 2012

By a vote of 28-17, the Arkansas Legislative Council -- a committee that acts as the legislature when the legislature is not in session-- rejected a motion for further discussion on a $18.4 million grant to fund Obamacare “partnership” exchanges in Arkansas. Rep. John Burris moved that the funding be pulled from the report for further discussion so that the Legislative Council could hold a separate vote on the matter. Legislators voted along party lines, with the exception of Rep. Les … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arkansas Legislature, Arkansas Politics, Health Care Reform Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Obamacare Gets Worse!

June 22, 2012

Obamacare really is the bureaucratic monstrosity that keeps on giving!  This week the Cato Institute has released a new video that outlines a new, two-fold problem with Obamacare.  Jonathan Adler explains that: 1. With federal exchanges, the federal government cannot offer tax credits and premium assistance to make health care plans offered in the exchanges affordable. 2. Consequently, if the federal government cannot offer tax credits, it doesn’t have a trigger to enforce the employer … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gallery, Health Care Reform Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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