Caution justified on Obamacare changes
The Legislature’s decision to delay implementing a state-based health-care exchange was a wise move in helping Montana “look before it leaps” into full-fledged participation in Obamacare. There are just too many unknowns lurking within the new health-care law.
Since our Legislature did not implement state-run exchanges, the Feds will impose federally run health exchanges beginning next January. Although some specifics have been delineated as to how these exchanges will be set up, the rates, participating providers and many other features are still being worked out. Recently, there have been news stories concerning a myriad of technical difficulties in setting up computer systems that will be integral to the functioning of these exchanges and assisting consumers.
Here are just a few of the unknowns and issues that will only be magnified when, and if, Montana decides to join in by creating and running its own exchanges: unpredictable costs, health-care workforce shortages, payment reductions to providers, added federally mandated benefits that drive up costs (these tend to be politically driven), rationing of care, skewing of the age of enrollees toward an older average age that results in an inability to spread risk and increased drug costs due to pharmaceutical companies having to pay extra fees that would likely be passed on to consumers.
As it stands now, we really don’t have a choice with regard to whether we participate or not in Obamacare. However, by holding off our full-fledged participation, at least initially, we may be buying ourselves some “breathing room” before we leap into this quagmire with both feet.
Farewell, Betty Babcock
On a sad note, Montana pays respects today to Betty Babcock, who died Sunday at the age of 91. Her body will lie in state in the Capital Rotunda today, and flags around the state will fly at half staff in honor of her.
Betty was the wife of former Gov. Tim Babcock and both of them hailed from an era of friendlier, cleaner politics when public service was considered a higher calling.
She played her own important role in the state’s history, both as first lady from 1962 to 1969, but also as a delegate to the 1972 Constitutional Convention and later as an advocate for renovation of the state Capitol.
Sen. Jon Tester summed up Betty’s contributions well: “Betty spent her life putting Montanans first, and our state is a better place to live and work because of her dedication to public service and to the people of Montana.”
Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.