At this point, most of us are well aware of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (referred to by most, including the ‘Grok, as Obamacare). But did you know that other than the 26 States and other private entities that are suing to block the complete implementation of Obamacare (for mostly Constitutional overreach by the Federal Government), that there is a nascent movement called the Health Care Compact. Instead of being a top-down, DC-centric, command-and-control, one-size-fits-all monstrosity, this is a voluntary, state-level alternative to the Obamacare tax. The essence of it is:
The Constitution established a federal government, but with limited and enumerated powers, and reserved to the states or to the people those powers not granted to the federal government. One power that properly belongs at the state level is the power to regulate Health Care. However, the federal government has preempted state action in this area.
The Health Care Compact is an interstate compact – which is simply an agreement between two or more states that is consented to by Congress – that restores authority and responsibility for health care regulation to the member states (except for military health care, which will remain federal), and provides the funds to the states to fulfill that responsibility.
The Health Care Compact does not conflict with the efforts by state attorneys general, state legislators and members of congress to repeal or modify the health care bill.
Instead of Washington taking the money from taxpayers, having a maelstrom of unaccountable and unelected boards, committees, and bureaus creating regulation after regulation and forcing compliance upon the States, citizens, and healthcare providers, this simply is having Congress block grant
I had a discussion with Matt Murphy on this – and why it matters to NH and why we should consider it to be important:
Part 1:
Part 2:
The bill to implement the Health Care Compact in NH is HB1560 and is sponsored by NH House Majority Leader DJ Bettencourt and NH State Senator Chuck Morse. It is currently in the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee. It is clear that the Liberals / Progressives / Statists want this to go down in flames to protect Obamacare – they are putting a lot of political pressure both the House Leadership (Speaker O’Brien and NH House Majority Leader DJ Bettencourt and the committee members. Drop them a line and let them know they have some help behind them!