Health Care Reform - Obamacare

Impact of Obama’s Re-election on Implementation of the ACA

Just Say No to State Health Insurance Exchanges

Federal Exchange Documents

This page provides various letters, documents, and regulations specifically related to the creation of a Federal Exchange, also called a "Federally-Facilitated Exchange" (FFE).

MN Hearing on Obamacare Exchange Grant - Partial Transcript

Minnesota is one 5 states furthest along in creating the exchange -- the federal takeover centers -- and could be number one, according to Minnesota state Rep. Steve Gottwalt (R) yesterday in a hearing on accepting federal exchange funding. Is Minnesota building the prototype for the nation -- all under Governor Mark Dayton's executive order? And what could that mean? One interesting fact, as pointed out by Gottwalt, is that Maximus, Inc, the exchange contractor, helped set up the single-payer system in two Canadian provinces. This document contains key statements at the hearing regarding Governor Dayton's authority to "go it alone."

CCHF Outlines What Exchange is for Legislative Committee

CCHF's president testified at a hearing regarding the state of Minnesota being able to take and use $42.5 million without legislative approval to continue the building of the health insurance exchange which was executive ordered by Governor Mark Dayton. CCHF describes what the exchange really is and why they need to stop it.

MN's System Reform Was Once Considered "Communism"

WALTER MCCLURE, who worked with Paul Ellwood to create the HMO, was interviewed in August 2012. Minnesota's health care system is close to where he wants health care to be with outside analysis of patients and doctors. From the Interview: "When [McClure's] team started on [cost and quality] assessment in the 1980's, the idea that someone would be looking over a physician's shoulder was considered communism. Physicians were convinced of their right to autonomy. However, by 2008 Minnesota's private and voluntary sector had accomplished a sea change in this culture with 85 percent of providers in the state participating in having their outcomes measured." [our emphasis]

CCHF Predicts Patient Difficulty in Accessing Care

As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to be implemented, patient privacy is one of the most oft-noted concerns as data is forced online, but the law’s impact on patient access to care is critical. The Citizens' Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) predicts, based on the results of a new study, that patients will have difficulty accessing medical care.

Stop Pushing Health Data Online, It Doesn’t Reduce Costs or Improve Care

ST. PAUL, Minn. –Michael Grunwald recently wrote in Healthcare IT News that health IT was one of the most transformative programs promoted by President Obama’s $27 billion Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health – or HITECH – Act within the Recovery Act. By computerizing medical data under the guise of cost control and improved healthcare delivery, the U.S. government has been able to implement what HHS Secretary Sebelius called the “foundation” for Obamacare. 

Minnesota Exchange Documents

Governor Dayton is building President Obama's health insurance exchange (federal takeover center) without legislative authority. He issued an Executive Order on October 31, 2011 when the 2011 legislature did not pass a law to establish a state-run exchange. This page provides KEY DOCUMENTS from the battle between the legislature and the Governor over implementing Obamacare -- national health care -- in Minnesota.

Obama Exchanges will Cause "Irreversible Shift"

A report from PriceWaterhouse Cooper (PwC)'s Health Research Institute says, "By 2021, the size of the exchange market is projected to more than double, marking the single largest expansion of health coverage in this country since the creation of Medicare in 1965...Public exchanges will create an irreversible shift in the insurance market that will ultimately change the way medical care is sold in the US. For the insurance industry, the new state-based exchanges represent a major business opportunity—an estimated $205 billion in premiums by 2021" Other reports say 98% of new spending in Obamacare -- $1 trillion -- is going to the health plans through the exchanges.