TN lawmakers file bill to block ACA

[Tanuki]

More ALEC crap
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20140116/NEWS0201/301160051?source=nletter-top5

..."Several Middle Tennessee Republicans are taking on the Affordable Care Act, with a new bill that would bar state and local governments — and possibly also companies that do business with them — from buying health insurance through the federal website.

State Sen. Mae Beavers and three House Republicans released a bill Wednesday designed to stop President Barack Obama’s health care reform law by discouraging use of its health insurance exchange, HealthCare.gov.

The bill is sure to face formidable legal questions. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that the core of the Affordable Care Act was constitutional, and past attempts to stop the health care law in Tennessee have run aground because of the well-established constitutional principle that state laws cannot trump federal laws.

The bill would make it illegal for Tennessee and local officials to “assist in implementing” the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. It also would prohibit the state, local governments and educational institutions from buying coverage for their employees through the website."...

[House of Roberts]

1. It's early and I haven't had enough caffeine yet,

but doesn't the law require all policies sold to adhere to certain minimum coverage standards?

If that is so, what difference does it make whether the insurance is obtained through the government website or direct from a company?

[Tanuki]

2. Why shouldn't I have the right to use my government's website?

For all the complaints about the website, at least it facilitated the process of identifying and comparing all of the options. We don't have a state exchange here, thanks to the RWers, and this is just one more way to sabotage access to affordable health care. They would do away with it altogether if they could. I can't imagine why you would defend this.

[House of Roberts]

3. I am not defending anything.

I asked a question.

As I read the article, it doesn't mention that the bill prohibits any individual from buying insurance through the federal exchange, unless you're on TennCare. If the state refused the federal money, fewer people would have coverage through that version of Medicaid, but those eligible would still get signed up one way or the other.

The hospitals are going to push back if they have to treat people without compensation, who would otherwise have had their bills covered.

I'm not sure the bill will stand up as constitutional anyway. The lawmakers can probably get away with making state and local governments go directly to insurance companies to obtain employee coverage. My question had to do with if the coverages had to meet the same minimum standard.