I'm beginning to wonder whether the future health of American politics may turn out to owe something to Obamacare.
Texas is a ridiculously red state, a state that has been churning out an embarrassing group of knuckledraggers who find their way to seats in Congress. Within the state, big bizness has a firm grip on the governor and legislature. The wild edge of the Republican party thrives here. The state government, which goes through secession hysteria so regularly that it almost seems to follow a menstrual pattern, is nonetheless closely tied to Beltway radicals.
The effort to destroy Obamacare is as alive in Texas these days as in Washington. Subtlety is not a Texas failing. The Perry administration is right out there, proudly declaring its plans to foul up the efforts of Obamacare "navigators," those patient souls who help others thread their way through the new insurance opportunities.
Rick Perry's idea of reggle-atin' includes making the navigators pay a hefty fee for their role assisting in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. From now on, the Texas Department of Insurance demands, navigators will be required to undergo "40 hours of training – in addition to the federally required 20-30 hours, get liability insurance and pay fees for fingerprints, tests and classes," according to a report in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
In other words, people who help others must pay the state for the privilege. To become a navigator in Texas, you'll need to ante up $800.
In public comments submitted to the state, state Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, said he had obtained documents from the Texas Department of Insurance indicating that the department chose a 40-hour requirement because of political influence. The department has said the documents are confidential under attorney-client privilege, said Burnam’s staff, and wouldn’t allow him to release them to the public.
“The lack of any rational basis for the determination of the hour requirements, combined with the apparent political influence from officials who have publicly dedicated themselves to obstruct the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, makes these training requirements the very definition of arbitrary,” Burnam said in his comments.
The department estimates that meeting the requirements to be a health insurance navigator would cost more than $800 a year. But navigators are prohibited by federal law from charging for their assistance to recoup those costs.
Witnesses complained that the high fees and lengthy training are not required for healthcare navigators who help people sign up for Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly, or Medicaid, the healthcare program for the disabled and poor. Democratic lawmakers said Perry and his appointees were trying to hinder people from using the federal healthcare exchange. ... Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
No kidding!
Wendy Davis, the increasingly popular Democrat who will run against the Republicans' chosen successor to Governor Rick Perry, is bound to profit from this attempt to kill Obamacare. But it's a lousy deal for Texans who have yet to sign up for health care and a rude, Republican smack on the kisser for anyone who tries to help them.
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Meanwhile, Democrats are sponsoring new ads touting the successes of Obamacare.
Democrats are expanding their Obama-Care offensive with Web ads in 12 competitive districts that feature people touting the benefits they’ve seen from the healthcare reform law, according to information shared first with The Hill. ...
...The expansion is an indication that Democrats believe their messaging on the issue has been effective. The strategy allows the party both to tout the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, which have largely been overshadowed by the rocky rollout of HealthCare.gov, while knocking Republicans for pushing repeal but failing to propose a concrete alternative to the law.
Democrats have taken a hit in the polls in recent weeks, due in part to issues with the reform law. Republicans believe the law will offer them a potent political attack through November, but Democrats continue to insist that as the benefits of the law begin to emerge, it will become a boon for the party, as they look to pick up the 17 seats they need to regain control of the House. ...TheHill
