Recently, governors told Congress that President Obama had not gone the distance in proposing that state be allowed to opt out of major provisions featured in the new health care law that goes into effect in 2014.
In addition, they also said that they need more immediate relief from the rapidly increasing burden of their Medicaid programs.
The governor of Mississippi Haley Barbour, who is a Republican, spoke on President Obama’s proposal, “It sounds good, but it provides very, very little actual help.”
The most urgent provisions of the new federal law, including a huge expansion of eligibility for the Medicaid program as well as the demand for nearly all residents of the country to carry health care insurance, will go into effect in 2014. Initially, the federal government is going to pay for the entire coverage cost for people who have recently become eligible for coverage through the Medicaid program. However, just after several years, the states are going to be required to pay for a certain amount of the cost for coverage.
Utah Governor
The governor of Utah Gary R. Herbert, a Republican, said that the Medicaid program has been a huge and increasing part of Utah health insurance budget even prior to the passing of the federal law. He said, “In this recession, Medicaid enrollment has skyrocketed. In December 2007, enrollment in Utah stood at 158,267 individuals. In December 2010, enrollment stood at 230,812 individuals, a 46 percent increase in three years.”
Governors gave their testimony
The governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick, a Democrat, testified to the committee that he was greatly apathetic to the proposal by President Obama due to the fact that the state of Massachusetts had already revamped its health care system in order to make sure that 98 percent of the state’s residents were able to get health care insurance.
