Huckleberries Online

D’s: Otter Late To Health Care Party

Posted by DFO

Jan. 3, 2012 9:26 a.m. • 5 comments

Idaho Democrats say they are on Gov. Butch Otter's side in creating a state health insurance exchange — but that doesn't mean the Democrats aren't ripping Otter over health care. A recent Otter guest opinion on health care, published in Sunday's Statesman, indulges in “inventive recollections,” and suggests Otter was planning to address the issue before Congress passed President Obama's health care legislation. “It is great to hear the governor finally express concern about affordable health care but he is showing up late to the game,” Democratic Party executive director Shelley Landry said in a news release today. Sniping between the parties aside, Otter might need votes from the Democratic minority if he wants to get a health insurance exchange through the Legislature. Some Republicans are rallying against the exchange — designed to help small businesses and individuals shop for insurance — because the exchange would be funded through grants from the feds’ health care law/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.

Question: Do you support Gov. Otter's proposal to create a state health insurance exchange?

Five comments on this post so far. Add yours!

idviking on January 03 at 9:45 a.m.
“It is great to hear the governor finally express concern about affordable health care but he is showing up late to the game,”

Its probably the first game (party) that Butch has been late to.
ShoshoneConservative on January 03 at 10:06 a.m.
If it was a completely, 100%, independent exchange, preferably with no federal funding, but CERTAINLY with no funding as result of, any connection whatsoever to, “Obamacare,” I could maybe think about supporting it. But not the way Otter is proposing to do it.
JamesBond on January 03 at 10:41 a.m.
This scenario is a bit like polishing the chrome bumper on a car that might be totalled.

Several federal courts have struck down and upheld Obamacare and various portions thereof, and now we await the US Supreme Court’s review and decision on it. It is safe to say that it’s constitutionality is very serious question. The most prudent course of action at this point is to await the high court’s ruling.
fortboise on January 03 at 11:53 a.m.
What’s fascinating to me is the tireless infighting over a meta-issue.

Health
Healthcare
Healthcare insurance
Healthcare insurance exchange

It’s another universe, where an insurance salesman magically turns into a “producer.” Or was it “navigator,” I forget.

Do I think Butch Otter and his pals are better at looking out for my interests than the federal government? That is one tough call. Let’s just agree that it’s a crazy non sequitur, shall we?

If individual states continue to regulate and micromanage health care insurance (because, um, WHY?), it doesn’t matter what sort of portal we put on the pig. It’s still going to be larded with unhealthy grease.
fortboise on January 03 at 1:02 p.m.
More here:
Lead, follow, or get out of the way

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About this blog

D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.