Friday Exchange Update

FoIB (and Director of Health Policy for the Cato Institute) Michael Cannon has 2 words of advice for the 58 state departments of insurance: Civil. Disobedience:

"The most important front right now is to ensure that states do not create the health-insurance exchanges [ObamneyCare©] needs ... Refusing to create exchanges is the most powerful thing states can do ... Think of it as an insurance policy in case the Supreme Court whiffs."

Even I can applaud the mandate for this kind of policy.

On the other hand, Empire State Governor Mario Cuoma has not heeded Michael's sage advice:

"New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is being heralded as brave for moving forward to set up a statewide health exchange by executive decree ... The Executive Order allows for regional advisory committees of all stakeholder representatives to make recommendations on the establishment and operation of the Exchange."

And so what, you ask?

So this:

"Sen. Greg Ball ... does not see cost savings but more spending the state can ill afford ... “any rush towards enacting [ObamneyCare©] is more political than reality. The promise of federal funding is not without strings and the program itself will ultimately ... cost New York taxpayers billions of additional dollars that we do not have."

Now that's an expensive insurance policy.