Friday December 14th Deadline Looms for States Decision on ObamaCare

Whether to create state-run health insurance exchanges or not Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Last month facing growing opposition from the states the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) decided to again postpone the deadline for states give notice whether or not they will set up a state-run ObamaCare health insurance exchange. While Texas Gov. Rick Perry notified HHS last month that the state would not participate 14 other State Legislatures have made it illegal or in some cases unconstitutional for their state to set up an exchange and to implement ObamaCares mandates. As long as the federal government has the ability to force unknown mandates and costs upon our citizens while retaining the sole power in approving what an exchange looks like the notion of a state exchange is merely an illusion" said Texas Gov. Rick Perry via letter Thursday to U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius reiterating Texas decision not to implement a state insurance exchange as part of Obamacare. The deadline designated at that time by the Obama Administration for states to inform the federal government of a their intention regarding a State Insurance Exchange" was November 16th.

It would not be fiscally responsible to put hard-working Texans on the financial hook for an unknown amount of money to operate a system under rules that have not even been written" said Perry.

Subsequently the Obama Administration established a new deadline states to notify HHS of their decision is tomorrow Friday December 14th. In November Governors:

1. Jan Brewer of Arizona
2. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana
3. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma and
4. Scott Walker of Wisconsin also rejected ObamaCare informing HHS they would protect the citizens of their states from these federally-regulated exchanges designed to replace the individual health insurance market with what critics claimis collusion between insurance companies and government bureaucrats.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie joined them earlier this month and an effort to set up an exchange in Michigan was defeated by the state legislature. But not all states are following suit. Just this week:

• Idahos Republican Gov. Butch Otter caved and announced he would pursue a state-based ObamaCare exchange and
• Nevadas Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval announced that his state would participate in ObamaCares Medicaid expansion.

Already 14 State Legislatures have made it illegal and in some cases unconstitutional for their state to set up an exchange and to implement ObamaCares mandates. States are under no obligation to set up an exchange. Any state exchange must be approved by the Obama Administration and operate under specific federally mandated rules many of which have yet to be disclosed. Gov. Perry has previously made clear Texas intention not to implement a state exchange or expand Medicaid under Obamacare in a letter to Secretary Sebelius in July.

• To view the governors letter to Secretary Sebelius.
• To view the governors July letter to Secretary Sebelius.

States are supposed to tell the Obama administration by Friday whether they want to create their own health insurance exchange a deadline that many had bet might never come to pass choosing to sit on their hands for months in the hope that Mitt Romney would win the presidency and the health care law would be repealed. States wishing to refuse participation in ObamaCare have three options:

1. Refuse to respond to the HHS request for an update regarding their health insurance exchange intentions
2. Respond that they will not implement an exchange as there is nothing statutory compelling them to do so or
3. Allow the HHS to implement an exchange and be as passive as possible offering no assistance as the HHS pursues implementation in their state.