RESOLUTION OPPOSING A MICHIGAN STATE HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE AS REQUIRED BY THE PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

RESOLUTION OPPOSING A MICHIGAN STATE HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE AS REQUIRED BY THE PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

Passed by the Washtenaw County GOP Exectutive Committee at our January meeting

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court will soon rule on the constitutionality of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) which may make the writing of a Michigan State Health Insurance Exchange meaningless;

WHEREAS, the deadline for PPACA Exchanges to be submitted for approval to the US Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) is not until January 1, 2013 which imposes no immediate urgency for enactment;

WHEREAS, although the PPACA grants HHS a nearly unlimited budget to fund state-created exchanges, it provides no funding for creating federal exchanges which means that, if a significant number of states decline to run exchanges themselves, HHS will have to either go back to Congress for additional funding which is not likely to be forthcoming with a GOP Congress or HHS must find other means elsewhere;_.

WHEREAS, the PPACA authorizes subsidies for those individuals enrolled in “an exchange established by the state under (Section) 1311” but has no similar language authorizing the subsidizing of individuals within the federal exchanges;

WHEREAS, it is highly unlikely that HHS will allow Michigan to have our own rules in our exchange no matter how we word it;

WHEREAS, writing an exchange bill while the Attorney General of the State of Michigan is currently part of a law suit against the PPACA could undermine those efforts;  

WHEREAS, not writing a Michigan Health Care Exchange along with other states could have the effect of forcing Congress to reopen and possibly repeal PPACA;

WHEREAS, writing this exchange could destroy our Michigan insurance marketplace; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, the Washtenaw County Republican Executive Committee opposes any attempt to write the Michigan State Health Exchange for the PPACA;

RESOLVED, the Washtenaw County Republican Executive Committee recommends to the Michigan Republican State Committee the following:

1. that the Michigan Republican State Committee opposes any attempts to write the Michigan State Health Insurance Exchange for the PPACA;

2. the Michigan Republican State Committee strongly encourages all Michigan state legislators and the Governor to reject any “Health Insurance Exchange of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act;”

RESOLVED, the Washtenaw County Republican Executive Committee strongly encourages all Michigan state legislators and the Governor to oppose PPACA as unconstitutional and to refuse to comply with it in any way;   

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be sent to the members of the Michigan Republican State Committee, Michigan’s Republican legislators, and the Governor.