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State Representative Jim Buchy
Ohio’s General
Assembly Standing Strong in Opposition to Obamacare
In Ohio we have recognized Obamacare for the failure it is and rejected
Washington’s attempt to burden Ohioans with the bureaucratic
responsibility of managing his federal health care exchange. Our
state budget has been choked by the federal expansion of Medicaid,
leaving Ohio with few options. We must encourage our Congressmen
to repeal Obamacare and let the free market work.
States across the country have been plagued by these bureaucratic
nightmares after they opted to manage their own healthcare
exchange. In Ohio we rejected the allure of $5 billion in federal
grants and have avoided this looming disaster by refusing to set up a
state health exchange.
Like all government programs, state run health care exchanges are
plagued by bureaucrats and technical difficulties and are unsupported
by the public. The free market provides affordable health
insurance options that allow consumers to achieve coverage without the
intrusion of the government. My colleagues and I have time and
time again fought against Obamacare in Ohio and will continue to do so.
As a part of this fight, the Ohio General Assembly rejected the
inclusion of Obamacare money as part of the FY 13-14 budget.
Through political maneuvering the federal government was able to get
Ohio to expand Medicaid. As a result a small segment of Ohio’s working
poor have access to healthcare coverage that would have otherwise not
been eligible for any assistance from the federal government.
This decision by Washington costs taxpayers more than $3 billion
annually. In the state budget, we opted to allow the federal government
to continue paying this frivolous bill because keeping our state budget
balanced is a priority. As the federal dollars fade away, a decision to
remove funding would only impact a small segment of the population that
is considered working poor. That same population is not eligible for
federal assistance in navigating the confusing federal healthcare
exchange.
This is an example of a gross federal overreach and I stand with my
colleagues in opposition to this poor public policy. Obamacare
must be stopped. Despite our strong protest, Washington has
artificially inflated our Medicaid budget and mandated coverage for
those on Obamacare. The federal government has made it cumbersome
to stop these new entitlements and has saddled the state with a portion
of the bill. Because of this, our Congressmen in Washington must
repeal Obamacare.
When Obamacare is repealed, we should tackle the issue of insuring
those with pre-existing conditions. Without this coverage, some
vulnerable Ohioans will be left for dead. But Obamacare has never
been the correct answer to this problem.
Obamacare’s many failures have shown that it is bad policy and I
strongly support efforts in the legislature to block this overreach and
remain in support of free market solutions that allow for more
affordable health insurance options for hard working Ohioans.
Please give me your opinion on this topic and others in the news this
month by completing an online survey at tinyurl.com/buchyapril2016
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