States Must Protect the Health Care Freedom of their Citizens by Saying No to Federal Health Insurance Exchanges

From The Goldwater Institute:

Health Care

States Must Protect the Health Care Freedom of their Citizens by Saying No to Federal Health Insurance Exchanges

by Diane Cohen

Goldwater Institute

January 19, 2012

Whether state- or federally established, health insurance exchanges are government-sanctioned cartels where only government-approved insurers can sell only government-approved insurance. While proponents claim that states should establish an exchange in order to fend off a federally established one and preserve state control, a review of the law and proposed regulations reveals that establishing an exchange will accomplish none of these objectives. Following are select provisions of the law and the proposed regulations that show the extent of federal control over the exchanges. These provisions show that states will not be able to maintain any meaningful control or “flexibility” by establishing an exchange. Likewise, they show that any state that establishes an exchange will be enforcing the individual mandate and infringing on their citizens’ rights to choose the health care and insurance that best suits their needs.

URL: goldwaterinstitute.org/sites/default/files/Policy%20Memo%20011712%20Health%20Care%20Exchanges.pdf