Some proposed new flexibility for states to comply with the new federal health care law won't do much good for Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer said Monday.
President Obama on Monday told Brewer and other governors meeting in Washington that his administration is willing to let states opt out of some of the provisions of last year's as early as 2014. That's three years earlier than the original provisions of the Affordable Care Act adopted last year.
"I think that's a reasonable proposal,'' the president said.
But there's a catch: Obama told governors that his administration will grant waivers only "if your state can create a plan that covers as many people as affordably and comprehensively as the Affordable Care Act does, without increasing the deficit.''
That means states that want to craft their own plans would still have to provide health care coverage for everyone up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, as approved by Congress last year. And that is a figure even higher than Arizona's current plan, the one Brewer wants to scale back.
And it also means Obama does not intend to have the federal treasury underwrite the states' higher costs.
"It's not going to help me or any of these other governors,'' Brewer said in a phone interview with Capitol Media Services.
"We're all working on our budgets,'' the governor said. Brewer said Arizona needs is real flexibility in a health care plan that won't drain the state coffers.
The message of the governors apparently was not lost on Obama. In his meeting he asked the National Governors Association to name a bipartisan group of its own members to work with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to lower costs but improve care.
"And if you can come up with more ways to reduce Medicaid costs while still providing quality care to those who need it I will support those proposals as well,'' he said.
Brewer said there might be no reason at all for governors to beg the Obama administration for more flexibility if the president would just cooperate.
"We're all waiting to see just what exactly happens in the courts,'' the governor said. More than two dozen states have filed multiple lawsuits challenging various provisions of the 2010 law, with different federal judges around the country so far issuing differing rulings.
Brewer said the governors specifically asked the president to agree to expedite the cases and have the issue presented directly to the U.S. Supreme Court where it ultimately will be decided, short-circuiting a series of time-consuming appeals.
"Of course, his comment was that he wanted to have a record'' from those hearings, the governor said. Brewer said she personally believes Obama is playing for time.
"I'm thinking from that he wants to see if it doesn't work or doesn't really work,'' she said.
The governor also met separately with Sebelius on Monday to talk about Arizona's efforts to scale back its own program on Oct. 1.
"It was encouraging,'' Brewer said.
Sebelius already has told Brewer she does not need federal permission to drop up to 250,000 people from the rolls of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state's Medicaid program, even though Washington provides about two-thirds of the annual funding. That move would bring total enrollment down to slightly more than one million.
The governor has proposed balancing next year's budget by eliminating care for 280,000. Brewer said she is still working on the plan which has yet to be approved by the Legislature.
Brewer is opposed to an alternative being pushed by Sen. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, to have Arizona withdraw entirely from the federal Medicaid system and give up the federal cash because it limits the ability of the state to make major changes in how AHCCCS operates.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 11:08 am on Tue, Mar 1, 2011.
Well Howie got this article right. Gave the reader both sides of the issue. I guess he must have had a nice big bowl of menudo this week-end. Could name a few bloggers who need the old "menudo cure" too......lol.
Democrats in the House, Senate and the States are seeing.. "OBAMA-CARE"...for what it really is now that the dust has settled. It is the 700lb gorilla in the room for the upcoming 2012 Elections. The American people ..."THAT VOTE"...don't want it. No Democrat in a Mid-Western, Southern or Rust-Belt State is going to be re-elected in 2012 with this albatross hanging around his/her neck. Look at all the Democrat Senators that are .."LEAVING THE USS OBAMA"...like rats on a sinking ship. In 2012, the Senate will have a "VETO-PROOF" majority and will just keep hamstringing Obama if he is still in Office ....which just about every one doubts at this time........THERE IS NO MONEY TO PAY FOR OBAMA-CARE...THERE NEVER WAS.
Slabside posted at 10:40 am on Tue, Mar 1, 2011.
getreal2105, just where do you think the $ is coming from right now? The pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow?
getreal2105 posted at 9:39 am on Tue, Mar 1, 2011.
Be careful what you ask for. Cutting State/Federal Medicaid will shift the cost to somewhere. Guess where??? That's right Master and Slab, right out of your back pocket, the middle class in AZ will absorb the costs for people needing healthcare without coverage. Healthcare in AZ will tripple as far a premiums, co-pays, perscriptions, anything and everything tied to healthcare will tripple in cost in AZ....gee didn't see that coming did you, hows that for a Brewer budget cut.....she's a mental midget lacking any plan...
Dale Whiting posted at 9:29 am on Tue, Mar 1, 2011.
Slabside,
Car insurance it to protect others from you wreckless driving, not your wrecklessly failing to take care of your health. Where most of the rest of the civilized west had comprehensive healthcare coverage and where even Neo-cons make suggestions like coverage mandates when Clinton took up the subject, there is something very disengenous about Brewer's current stance.
And of course Pearce has not given Brewer her script. Arpaio has yet to give Pearce his script.
Masterrogue666 posted at 5:49 am on Tue, Mar 1, 2011.
ernie: Brewer's trying to decrease the budget. Obamacare INCREASES said budget. What ever happened to it not cost us more?
Slabside posted at 6:26 pm on Mon, Feb 28, 2011.
Why should Brewer have to provide health care ernie? Does she provide your car insurance? Go back to mediamatters.org for your answers.
ernie13x posted at 6:16 pm on Mon, Feb 28, 2011.
And her health plan is to do what? At least other Governors have something in mind. Instead of chronically shooting everything down Jan, how about some affordable alternatives. Or hasn't Russell Pearce told you what to think on that issue yet?