Jim Martin, “These half-baked, unfunded mandates are nothing but handcuffs on Governors, and a prison sentence for Americans who want quality, life-saving  healthcare in their home state.”

(Alexandria, Virginia) – States should reject the federal healthcare exchanges offered through President Obama’s ACA overhaul, says 60 Plus Chairman Jim Martin, leader of the nation’s largest conservative seniors organization with over 7 million supporters.

The Obamacare legislation offers states the option to partner with the federal government to establish healthcare exchanges which would, among other tasks, establish sweeping healthcare guidelines including health insurance regulations, fee and physician reimbursement schedules, and Medicaid eligibility requirements.

Governor John Kasich (R-OH) publicly announced he would reject the federal exchanges as too expensive and burdensome to Ohio, and detrimental to the economic recovery of the state.  This comes as the HHS itself is offering states more time to decide on exchanges, as the federal government admits it is not yet prepared to handle the ACA exchange mandates and responsibilities.

“Governor Kasich — along with Governor Rick Scott of Florida and Nikki Haley of South Carolina — should be applauded for rejecting these complicated, expensive and sinister exchanges.  These regulations, rules and government bureaucrats will do nothing to help the quality of life of Americans, and in the end will only hurt the quality of care we receive.

“When even the federal government, who created these exchanges, admits they are not prepared to implement them, and not entirely clear on how they will work, what else do you need to know to run, not walk away as fast as possible?  Rejecting the ACA exchanges remains one of the few viable ways to keep Obamacare from taking full control of the American healthcare system as it was designed to do.  Let’s hope that other Governors follow the lead of Governors Kasich, Haley and Scott.”

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