Press Releases • Feb 2012 • Health Exchanges -Obamacare

Three GOP Chairs Co-Author Obamacare Bill with Deceptive “Marketplace” Title

On February 16, 2012, Minnesota Rep. Joe Atkins (D-Inver Grove Heights) held a press conference to discuss the “Minnesota Insurance Marketplace Act” – HF 2290. There are 17 co-authors including three GOP House members: Tax Chairman Greg Davids (R-Preston), Health and Human Services Finance Chairman Jim Abeler (R-Anoka), and Commerce and Regulatory Reform Chairman Joe Hoppe (R- Chaska). The Senate bill, SF 1872, is authored by Sen. Tony Lourey and has no GOP co-authors.

Even though the words “exchange,” “health insurance exchange” and “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” are not used, the bill proposes to create Obama’s exchange using the language of “marketplace.” One study by Herndon Alliance published last year reported that “marketplace” was a good word to use to discuss the exchange, especially with “anti-government/anti-health law” folks.

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