Obama backtracks on health mandate, supports opt-out from start

The Hill ^

[Sub-Driver]

Obama backtracks on health mandate, supports opt-out from start By Jason Millman - 02/28/11 11:31 AM ET

President Obama came out in favor of a significant change to the healthcare reform law for the first time on Monday, backing a plan that could delay the implementation of the mandate to buy insurance.

The president is supporting a plan that would allow states to receive waivers to pursue their own healthcare plans, a change that would let states opt out beginning in 2014 from the mandate to buy insurance — one of the law's most unpopular elements.

Speaking to nation’s governors on Monday morning, Obama said states should be able to implement alternatives to the reform law starting in 2014, rather than in 2017, which is the timeline set by the law.

"If you have a better way of doing it, help yourself,” Obama told the National Governors Association. “Go ahead, take that route.”

The law allows states to request a waiver for the requirement in 2017, but Obama said he supports moving the date up to 2014, when the individual mandate goes into effect.

The announcement marks the first major change backed by Obama since the Democratic Congress approved healthcare reform 11 months ago.

[kidd]

He is not conceeding on anything here.

I believe that Obamacare allows states to opt-out of the Federal mandate if they adopt some sort of Romneycare mandate.

All Obama is doing is posturing. Making it look like this is his idea of compromising. It is neither his idea nor is it a compromise.

[TexasFreeper2009]

rofl

What a total tool.

He knows that he is going to lose the court case and is scrambling to save his stupid healtcare plan.

[headstamp 2]

Anything to buy re-election

[savedbygrace]

Remember: There are two mandatory issues - individual & State. He only mentioned the State mandatory issue.

[Doogle]

let’s hope he’s already been briefed....*grins*

[Buckeye McFrog]

Sounds like a delaying tactic to try and convince the SCOTUS that suits challenging the mandate will be moot.

Also I am thinking he is really liking Vermont’s plan to implement single payer on a statewide basis.

[KansasGirl]

First off, all the Rats who lost in 2010 after voting to support this have got to really appreciate this.

Secondly, this law will bankrupt the insurance industry in no time flat without the individual mandate. Didn’t the insurance wheel and deal with the Obama Admin on this. They’ve got to be regretting that now! Fools!

[KansasGirl]

[Sounds like a delaying tactic to try and convince the SCOTUS that suits challenging the mandate will be moot]

It will have the opposite effect. The Supreme Court has got to be thinking he is a complete moron.

Obama claims not to support the law he signed. He must think voters are really dumb (of course, there is a lot of evidence supporting that—53% of them voted for this POS).

[KansasGirl]

[Sounds like a delaying tactic to try and convince the SCOTUS that suits challenging the mandate will be moot]

It will have the opposite effect. The Supreme Court has got to be thinking he is a complete moron.

Obama claims not to support the law he signed. He must think voters are really dumb (of course, there is a lot of evidence supporting that—53% of them voted for this POS).

[ExTxMarine]

"If you have a better way of doing it, help yourself,” Obama told the National Governors Association. “Go ahead, take that route.”

Well cool, then Texas is covered! We already figured out a better way: tort law reform, etc... It lowered the cost of doing business and we saw thousands of doctors FLOCK to Texas to open business!

Wait, you mean we still have to implement ALL of the Federal laws stupidity as well?!?!?! Then what did he mean by, "If you have a better way of doing it, help yourself?" DUH!!!!!

[Doogle]

this headline on FOX homepage now..: Obama Offers to Let Governors Propose Alternative Health Care Law ...yeah it certainly sounds like he's bailing on Dumbocare

[RoadTest]

KILL THAT BILL!

[CottShop]

Basically what obama said today was

“Those states that are smart enough to recognize that the federal government is trying to trample on their constitutional rights have ‘the option’ to ‘opt out’, but for htose states that do NOT care about their citizen’s constitutional rights, and who are dumb enough to opt in, I say welcome aboard”

and

“Now that we’ve got our foot in the door toward government takeover of industry, and now that the govenrment will be able to FORCE peopel in states that opted in to purchase health care, We’re goign to slowly erode the constitutional rights of those states who opted out, buit by bit, until noone realizes what hit them”

Every damn state in this country SHOULD opt out- and forget this /’waiver’ crap- there’s NOTHING to sign!!! The govenrment was ILLEGALLY trying to trample on our constitutional rights, and now the president wants to make concessions for getting caught in the act by having states ‘sign off’ on the agreement to opt in? BS!!!