The Tea Party's Latest Scheme to Kill Health Reform

[n2doc]

— By Stephanie Mencimer

Tue Mar. 29, 2011 12:01 AM PDT

The tea party has a new plan to attack health care reform. While some conservative activists are still fighting to get the law defunded and eventually repealed, others are organizing behind a radical, states'-rights proposal that would go beyond merely derailing health reform. Egged on by tea partiers, at least a dozen states are now contemplating legislation that supporters believe would allow them to seize control of and administer virtually all federal health care programs operating in their states and exempt them from the requirements of the health care law. That includes Medicare, the government health care program for the elderly on which a sizable number of tea partiers rely.

The vehicle for this reform end run is called the health care compact, an interstate compact not very different in theory from the ones states use to create regional transit authorities, for instance. Recently, the nation's largest tea party group, the Tea Party Patriots, has thrown its weight behind the concept, seeing it as another way of downsizing the federal government. But the group may have other motivations, too. TPP has received a significant amount of money from the measure's backer, the Health Care Compact Alliance, an organization bankrolled by the right-wing heir to a Texas construction company fortune. Last month, the Alliance underwrote TPP's policy summit in Phoenix for a sponsorship advertised at $250,000. It has also become a regular advertiser on TPP's website and email promotions.

Along with TPP's endorsement comes its considerable army of activists, who are working to persuade state legislatures to pass laws to join the interstate compact rather than to implement parts of the new federal health care reform law. The Georgia House, which recently refused to move legislation that would create health insurance "exchanges" as required under the Affordable Care Act, also passed health care compact legislation. States including Tennessee, Oklahoma, Montana, Arizona, and Missouri are currently considering similar bills.

Despite the flurry of legislative activity, the compact is a longshot. The Alliance website promoting the proposal describes it as "simply an agreement between two or more states that is consented to by Congress—that restores authority and responsibility for health care regulation to the member states (except for military health care, which will remain federal), and provides the funds to the states to fulfill that responsibility." Proponents seem to believe that the compact is actually a shortcut to their goal of defunding reform because of its alleged simplicity. Once two or more states sign on, all they think they need is congressional consent, and billions in federal health dollars will suddenly be turned over to the states without any strings attached—and without the signature of the president. Easy, right?

more

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/tea-party-health-care-compact

[liberal N proud]

1. More ignorant assholes fighting against their own best interest

The nation has been deceived by propaganda.

[rfranklin]

2. Exactly who do they think will control those funds?

The money will be siphoned off by "capitalists" whose only objective is to enrich themselves. The morans who vote for this will find themselves with less access to healthcare than a beggar in Bhopal.

[zbdent]

3. "the compact is a longshot" ... with today's "liberally-biased media"?

I'd put money on it passing ...

[LWolf]

4. I've yet to see any health care reform for them to kill.

Real health care reform was never on the table, and supporters of real health care reform were not welcome.

[n2doc]

5. This isn't about "reform"

That's just the propaganda. This is about taking away the little that is there now.

[LWolf]

6. Too bad we didn't get some actual reform passed.

It would give us something to fight for.

I haven't been to a doctor for routine maintenance/wellness checks, let alone for a few conditions that actually need treatment, in years. I couldn't afford the deductible and co-payments BEFORE my premiums AND deductible skyrocketed in '09 and again in '10.

The insurance that I can't afford to use costs about $12,000 a year. My employer pays some of that.

[alp227]

7. just heard a commercial for wesite healthcarecompact.com

while listening to the CollegeInsider.com tournament championship on this business radio station in my area, KDOW-AM. Wow. Thank you for posting this article and alerting us, I shall read it soon. Seriously I'm tired of hearing this BS "the government getting in your way between your doctor and you" right wing drumbeat. Well where was the right wing and Tea Party while insurance companies were getting in the day like in the Nataline Sarkisyan case?