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Federal Health Care Law Touches Off Florida Brouhaha
December 4, 2012
The first meeting of a Senate select committee on the federal Affordable Care Act turned raucous Monday, with a group of speakers saying the state should not carry out the law — and jeering Senate Minority Leader Chris Smith after he defended the role of the federal government.
Members of the group, including “tea-party” activists, said the law known as “Obamacare” is an unconstitutional overreach by Washington. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of the law in June, which has led to state lawmakers considering whether to carry out portions such as an expansion of Medicaid eligibility and creation of a health-insurance exchange.
KrisAnne Hall, a north Florida lawyer who was a chief spokeswoman for the group, described the federal law as a “trainwreck.”
“You have to stand now in defense of the constitution, in honor of your oath,” she told members of the Senate Select Committee on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
But a short time later, Smith, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat, offered a different view of the federal government’s role, saying, “It’s hard to sit here and be silent and listen to some of this.”
Smith said, for example, the federal government had to play a large role in the past on issues such as integrating schools. Also, he pointed to part of the U.S. Constitution that originally treated black people as less than white people for representation purposes.
“The federal government had to step in because our constitution is an imperfect document,” Smith said, drawing boos from the health-law opponents. “If it was perfect, you would not have amendments to it.”
Committee Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, tried to stem the booing.
“I would ask everyone, show courteousness and decorum,” Negron said.
Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, formed the select committee to make recommendations about issues confronting the state, as major pieces of the federal health law get ready to take effect in January 2014. Florida Republican leaders fought the law in the courts and politically for more than two years, but now are grappling with the realization that the Affordable Care Act likely will take full effect after the Supreme Court decision and President Obama’s re-election in November.
Negron said he is not sure when the committee will make recommendations and that Monday’s meeting was largely about starting to gather information. He said his priorities include protecting individual choice in health-care matters, limiting regulations on businesses that are subject to the law and promoting competition and value as Floridians make decisions about buying coverage.
One important piece of the law — increasing payments to primary-care physicians who treat Medicaid patients — appears likely to take effect Jan. 1. The federal government would pay the full cost of the increase in 2013 and 2014, though Florida would have to pick up part of the tab in later years if it decides to keep the increase in place.
The health law requires the physician-payment increase, and Negron said lawmakers are looking at how the increase can take effect Jan. 1 without the Legislature having to act on it. The increase would reimburse physicians at rates paid in the Medicare program, which are higher than the rates paid by Florida Medicaid.
But the more-contentious issues center on whether to expand Medicaid eligibility to include more Floridians and whether to set up a state health-insurance exchange, a type of online marketplace that federal officials see as an important part of trying to help people get coverage. If Florida does not set up an exchange, the Obama administration will do it for the state — though Florida also could enter into a partnership with the federal government.
Another issue facing lawmakers is whether the state will offer health coverage to employees who work in what are considered temporary positions. Some workers stay in the jobs — known as “other personal services” jobs — for long periods of time. Under the law, the state could be forced to pay financial penalties if it doesn’t offer coverage to them.
Members of the committee listened to the staff presentations on such issues Monday and gave little indication about how they want to move forward. But Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, said Florida has one of the highest rates of uninsured people in the country, which she said needs to be “reckoned with.”
“We have to abide by the law and do what’s best for the people of Florida in terms of their health care,” Sobel said.
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
Comments
11 Responses to “Federal Health Care Law Touches Off Florida Brouhaha”
REGARDING:
“They did not need to read it to pass it because they are exempt from it, just like they are exempt from reality.”
Not really.
They aren’t exempt because many of those who passed it were voted out of office and no longer have the benefit of being public servants. It affected them and their families and friends, therefore it affected them.
Nancy Pelosi wasn’t exempt from the push because it kicked her out of Speaker of House position due to disapproval of the way she pushed it through. She didn’t care if it was constitutional or not, she just wanted to exercise her power while she had it. (It turns out it WAS constitutional, under the taxing authority of Congress but she didn’t know that at the time or care.)
If they DID want government health care, they didn’t have time to read their own bill because the incoming set of representatives would most likely not pass it no matter how wonderful it was.
David for voter feedback
They did not need to read it to pass it because they are exempt from it, just like they are exempt from reality. Send the members of the House and the Senate into a grocery store, put them under the Obama Care Plan and make them pay for their on gas and maybe a light bulb will come on in the dark that represents their brains. Oh and while we are at it send in the Leader of the not so free world which we are about to become and let him pay for his own health care, gas , food and everything else like the rest of us but make sure it is with a paycheck under $30,000.00 dollars a year. Perhaps if that happened it would be easier to balance a actual budget instead of spending other people’s money. I would like all the free cell phones, food and health care but unfortunately I am one of those worker bee’s that have to work for all the people that don’t.
REGARDING:
“The supreme court upheld it, thats all that matters.”
It should be were it not for those who act like they don’t care if they did uphold it or not.
“America wants Obamacare, thats why they voted him in. This is now his 2nd term, ”
Actually, that starts next month..
David for truth
The supreme court upheld it, thats all that matters. America wants Obamacare, thats why they voted him in. This is now his 2nd term, clearly the rest of America doesn’t agree with the few posters here … You guys are the minority
I say bog it down till they repeal it . And start over.
Nice to know that our “elected representatives” know how to throw hissy fits in the Halls of the Legislature.
Don’t agree with what a majority of voters or the court system have to say about an issue? Obfuscate, obstruct, get your panties in a wad, & prepare to take your ball & go home.
I fear there are no states(men) left in government.
Obamacare makes as much sense as Citizens Insurance. The most they both have in common is governments attempting to meddle in the insurance industry.
Real world, most of America does not want it, so , let the states drag their feet and cause the Feds as many problems as they can, This is what happens when you try to shove some thing down one’s throat. It was not read and was passed by idiots.
And now…the dumb part. People who oppose setting up Health Insurance Exchanges by the state do so because they oppose the Federal Government having a hand in telling the states how to run run healthcare in state. But refusing to set it up on their own absolutely assures that the federal government will do it for them. (face palm) The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, Supreme Court Tested. (The most conservative court in decades I might add.) It’s real, it’s happening so we’d best prepare for it properly or someone else will do it for us. Time to grow up people. Holding your breath and stomping your feet is going to change it. It’s simply going to marginalize the GOP even further which is now almost exclusively the party of old white men. In Healthcare, they use something called actuary tables. They are not working in your favor.
REGARDING:
“Also, he pointed to part of the U.S. Constitution that originally treated black people as less than white people for representation purposes.”
He shows a bit of ignorance there. Black people were treated as less than white people in that they could be owned as property, but unless they were owned, they were treated the same as anyone else for representation purposes per Article One, Section Two of the Constitution:
“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”
Notice that the defining notion was that those who were free or could be free were to be counted (unless they were untaxed Indians).
The slave owning states wanted slaves counted at full value so they would have more power in the House of Representatives. The non slave owning states didn’t want them counted at all since they were considered property rather than citizens.
They compromised on reduced representation. Had they not done so, neither the slave owning states or the non slave owning states would have agreed to unite under the Constitution.
Thus, Smith’s wrong when he says, ““The federal government had to step in because our constitution is an imperfect document,” – - – “If it was perfect, you would not have amendments to it.”
The federal government doesn’t step in to override the Constitution because of its flaws and it’d be nice if he understood it should be followed until such time as it’s amended because it IS the official agreement.
David for truth
Nancy Pelosi said “just pass Obamacare and read it later”. This tells us that many of our representatives have never even read this 200+ page document and probably don’t even know what is in it. Maybe they need to find before they have passed something they know nothing about and have no idea how it will effect every American. Good or bad, they should have researched it more first.