President Obama has been facing a great deal of criticism for his health care reform, and it’s coming directly from many states. Earlier today, the Obama administration rolled out a benefits framework for millions of Americans who will get individual health insurance through the health care overhaul, and they are giving states the power to decide specifics.
According to the article found on Google by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, the new law will call for the federal government to set a standard benefits package for private insurance but giving states some flexibility to avoid their inevitable criticism. The proposal from the Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, allows states to keep some of their power, since private insurance has generally been handled at the state level. With so many state officials against reporting to Washington so often, this could make acceptance of the law a little smoother.
The standard benefits package could help 90 million people with finding health insurance. This includes those who would gain private insurance because of reform, as well as those enrolled in small employer and individual health insurance plans. The new proposal would allow states to pick and choose benefits packages from several options that have been approved by the federal government.
Sebelius points out that they are committed to making states happy by allowing them more say in their benefits packages. 26 states are currently asking the Supreme Court to reverse health care reform which is a huge percent of states not cooperating. If the states does not want to choose a package, it will automatically default to the basic plan designed by the federal government. I have a feeling many states are still going to disapprove of the law overall, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Written by Sam Tabes
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