Greendale Lawmaker Backs Decision to Hold off on Health Insurance Exchanges
State Representatives Jeff Stone and Jon Richards debated about whether Wisconsin is taking a risk by not creating health insurance exchanges.
Greendale State Rep. Jeff Stone supports the governor’s decision to hold off on creating health insurance exchanges till after the presidential election.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act in June, in which every state is required to create an insurance exchange, a place where you must go to buy your health insurance. Gov. Scott Walker said the state will not take any action to implement the provisions of the federal law.
"I am hopeful that political changes in Washington, D.C., later this year ultimately end the implementation of this law at the federal level," the Republican governor said back in June.
Stone told WISN in an interview that he believes people in Wisconsin will be paying more for health insurance and healthcare through this law. He also said he has doubts about whether the federal government is going to be able to create, operate and fund an exchange under the law.
Milwaukee State Rep. Jon Richards said that the affordable care act will be a law whether Mitt Romney wins against Barack Obama or even if the Republicans take the house. He said the federal government could create an exchange for Wisconsin by January 1 and the state would lose out on an opportunity to create an exchange for the people of the state.
Bren
4:31 pm on Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Once again partisan politics takes precedence over what's best for state residents. That's why Chris Abele is County Executive, Rep. Stone.
Jason Patzfahl
6:47 am on Wednesday, July 25, 2012
I have been trying to contact Jeff Stone to get a statement about the supreme Court upholding the Affordable Care Act for almost two weeks now (no such luck) . . . And just yesterday the Non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found that Obama's health care law would save the US $84 BILLION over 11 years and that a repeal of "Obamacare" would actually increase the deficit by $109 billion because as written, the Republican law H.R. 6079 would "reduce direct spending by $890 billion and reduce revenues by $1 trillion over the 2013–2022 period, thus adding $109 billion to federal budget deficits over that period."
Sometimes doing nothing is more expensive, right Jeff Stone? BTW, Mr. Stone gets his health insurance from the state . . . what's good for the goose is too good for the gander under Jeff Stone.
Bren
9:04 am on Wednesday, July 25, 2012
All of these obstructionist partisan reps get taxpayer-paid benefits. They can argue about health care at their leisure while Americans sicken and die without proper, affordable medical treatment. Their behavior is reprehensible.
Greendale Dad
1:12 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
I never knew you didn't have to obey a law if you think that maybe someday someone might just maybe overturn it. I wonder if that'll get me out of a parking ticket. "Honest officer, I can park there, because someday that might not be an illegal parking space any more."