Virginia first state to challenge federal health insurance mandate

[t0dd]

Congress hasn’t even passed Obamacare yet, but if and when it does, Virginia’s General Assembly has already fired the first round in what could be a major legal showdown with Washington over the limits of federal power.

On Thursday, the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere became the first state to enact legislation that prohibits the federal government from forcing its citizens to purchase government-approved health insurance. The measure was sponsored by two Northern Virginians - State Senator Jill Vogel, R-Warrenton, and Del. Bob Marshall, R-Manassas - who also co-signed a Feb. 24 letter to President Obama protesting state legislators’ exclusion from his recent health care summit.

In an ominous sign for the president’s top domestic priority, five Democrats in the Virginia Senate joined 18 Republicans to vote for the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act in a state Obama won handily less than 18 months ago. They were, perhaps, influenced by the 2,400 grassroots activists who trekked to Richmond last month to oppose federally mandated insurance coverage.

A constitutional amendment passed earlier in Arizona, but has yet to be approved by voters. It will be on the ballot in November.

Legislators in more than 30 other states are also considering similar bills based on the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Freedom of Choice in Health Care model.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Virginia-first-state-to-nullify-federal-health-insurance-mandate-86632032.html

[leftstreet]

1. oops

Interesting

[murphyj87]

2. Palin Admits To Travelling To Canada For Health Care

Palin Admits To Travelling To Canada For Health Care

In November of 2009, Sarah Palin — who is always suggesting that health care reform will lead to socialism — insisted that Canada needs to reform its health care system to “let the private sector take over.” But this past Saturday in Calgary, Canada — at “her first Canadian appearance since stepping down as governor of Alaska last summer” — Palin seemed to deviate from her fear of socialized Canadian medicine when she revealed that her family may have benefited from the Canadian system:

PALIN: We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada. And I think now, isn’t that ironic?

This isn’t the first time Palin highlighted the difficulty of obtaining affordable health care in America. During the presidential campaign, Palin discussed how her and husband Todd had “gone though periods of our life here with paying out-of-pocket for health coverage until Todd and I both landed <b>a couple of good union jobs</b>.” At the Vice Presidential debate, Palin recalled times in her marriage “in our past where we didn’t have health insurance and we know what other Americans are going through as they sit around the kitchen table and try to figure out how are they going to pay out-of-pocket for health care?”

Palin’s experience also highlights the fact that American medical-tourism to Canada is common, despite conservatives’ claims that Canada’s health care system drives Canadians into the states. “Every year, thousands of Americans undergo surgery in other countries” where they can receive the same care “at half the price.” “In 2007, an estimated 750,000 Americans traveled abroad for medical care; this number is anticipated to increase to six million by 2010″ — far outpacing the number of Canadians coming into the United States for medical treatment. It’s good to know that Palin was once one of them.

[Edweird]

5. She's promoting socialized medicine AND unions. How funny.

[derby378]

3. This ought to be interesting...

Aside from the fact that many Republicans were for the individual mandate before they were against it, I'd like to see someone make an argument that forcing Americans to buy a particular type of product is in fact Constitutional.

[ThomWV]

6. You took the words right from my fingertips

[ixion]

4. good...

I hope to see more states challenge it.

[Better Today]

7. The wording looks a bit tricky to me...

"prohibits the federal government from forcing its citizens to purchase government-approved health insurance"

So, I know I'm being a bit nit-picky here, but does that mean a mandate without "approvals" will be accepted, ie they can be mandated but the insurance has to be allowed to be crappy?