Conservatively Speaking

Scott Walker is not alone

Posted by Mary Lazich on Nov. 6, 2010

The Wall Street Journal reports that newly-elected Republican governors, including Scott Walker will attempt to thwart key portions of enacted federal health care.  The newspaper writes:

“While governors can't avoid much of the law, they can throw sand in its gears and keep states out of involvement in a central part of it—new exchanges for selling insurance policies.

Wisconsin's Republican governor-elect, Scott Walker, met with lawmakers Wednesday to discuss how to minimize the state's participation in the law's expansion of Medicaid, the federal-state insurance program for the poor. He also wants to lean on private entities to run the insurance exchanges, where lower earners who qualify for tax credits and small businesses will shop for Mr. Walker is worried that the Medicaid expansion, initially paid for by the federal government, will be too costly once states must begin paying for a portion of it in 2017.”

The legal issue that has led to lawsuits filed against the new health care law is the stipulation that Americans must purchase insurance or be subject to fines. Currently, 20 states are part of a lawsuit, and the Wall Street Journal reports newly-elected Republican governors in at least six states will be asked to join the legal battle.

Read more here.