The AP (4/13, Shannon
McCaffrey) reports, "Georgia's insurance commissioner will keep
the state out of the first phase of a new federal healthcare law
that would offer subsidized premiums to people with health
problems. In a letter obtained Monday by The Associated Press,
Republican John Oxendine said Georgia should not take part in
the creation of an insurance pool, backed by $5 billion in
federal money, that would help high-risk people who have been
uninsured for at least six months." The letter, addressed to HHS
Secretary Sebelius, stated that "he has 'no confidence' the
program will not be a burden on Georgia taxpayers. The program
is funded by all federal money, but Oxendine said he worries
that down the road the state will have to foot the bill."
CQ HealthBeat (4/13,
Norman, subscription required) reports, "The reaction comes from
a state where Republican lawmakers have been particularly
outspoken about their opposition to the new law." Notably,
Oxendine "is running for governor and is an advocate of
challenging the law's constitutionality. Georgia Gov. Sonny
Perdue, also a Republican, recently announced the state would
join 18 other states in a legal challenge," and "he vowed to use
private lawyers after the state's Democratic attorney general
refused to join the suit."
According to the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution (4/13, Schneider), Sebelius said
earlier this month that "while she is interested in working with
states to set up the pools, a state's participation is not
needed. She said the federal government would carry out a
coverage program in those states." Therefore, in response to
Oxendine, Sebelius spokesman Nicholas Papas stated, "For too
long, Georgians with pre-existing conditions have been locked
out of the insurance market. ... Our department will work to
ensure Georgians with pre-existing conditions have access to
affordable insurance through the federal high-risk pool program
that we will establish this year."
Reuters (4/13, Lambert), the
Atlanta Business Chronicle (4/13, Williams) and
WSAV-TV (4/13, Merrigan)
also cover the story.
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