GOP vote against ACA: A Pointless Piece of Political Theater - USA Today editorial

[Bill USA]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/story/2012-07-11/health-care-states-exchanges-Medicaid/56156410/1


In a pointless piece of political theater, the House voted yet again on Wednesday to repeal President Obama's health care law, knowing that the repeal measure will never get past the Democratic-led Senate or Obama's veto pen.

Not so meaningless, however, are recent decisions of several states to resist what ought to be some of the less controversial aspects of ObamaCare. They're refusing to set up easy-to-use exchanges that would help residents make insurance choices. And they're turning down a Medicaid expansion, which will deny insurance to millions who can't afford coverage and shift the cost of their care to people who have it.

The balky governors and legislators, overwhelmingly Republicans, complain about cost and state sovereignty, but for the citizens all that matters is what they'll get or what they'll lose, and they'll lose a lot.

For example, more than a quarter of Texans have no health insurance, which puts the state last in the nation in coverage. You'd think Gov. Rick Perry would be looking for ways to fix that. Instead, he's just saying no.
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