The Health Care Compact has interested me as an alternative way of dealing with the eradication of the Obama Health Care Plan. As is well known, a majority of the states have filed in the courts to have the Obama plan declared unconstitutional. Even though one of the lower courts has indeed declared the mandate requiring all citizens to buy health insurance unconstitutional, the Obama Administration has simply ignored this.
In addition, Obamacare has already been funded through the passage of the original bill as a Christmas Present from Nancy Pelosi. The Supreme Court is seen as the final arbiter of this battle to declare Obamacare unconstitutional, however time-wise this issue probably will not be taken up by the Court until after the 2012 election when a decision by the Court that Obamacare is unconstitutional is not at all certain because of the composition of the court with two Obama justices recently added to the court.
The compact then is being pushed forward to be at the ready should the Court decide in favor of Obamacare. Even if Obamacare is declared uncostitutional, many of its parts may already have been funded and in operation. In this event the Health Care Compact will be of vital importance in ensuring that the states rather than the Federal Goverment will be in charge of healthcare.
The election of 2012 then becomes of vital importance not only with the hope that Obama can be retired but that both the Senate and the House will be in Republican Control since Congress must consent to the Compact.
The following is an article of the Health Care Compact Alliance which is responsible for drafting the Compact and gives the history of how the Compact is doing in the State Legislatures; the legislatures must pass the compact and the Governor must sign the compact into state law. So far Georgia and Oklahoma have passed the compact into law in their states.
The hope is that when a majority of states have passed the Compact into law, these states, with the voices of their legislators and governors will have a significant lobbying voice in Congress and the Supreme Court. It is clear the Obama Administration has not listened to the people; it will be much harder to ignore the voice of the people through their elected state representatives.
The following two paragraphs are in a slightly edited form so as to make them more clear following my article above. Otherwise their substance is within the following article about the progress of the Compact itself:
The Health Care Compact is an Interstate compact given authority within the Constitution under Article I, Section 10. Interstate compacts have been used throughout U.S. history to allow states to coordinate in important policy areas and more than 200 such agreements are currently in effect. They are voluntary agreements between states that, when consented to by congress, have the force of federal law.
The Health Care Compact is an initiative of the Health Care Compact Alliance, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to providing Americans more influence over decisions that govern their health care.
The Article:
HEALTH CARE COMPACT INTRODUCED IN MICHIGAN
HEALTH CARE COMPACT INTRODUCED IN MICHIGAN
For Immediate Release
May 26, 2011
May 26, 2011
Health Care Compact Introduced in Michigan
Alexandria, VA – Today, the Health Care Compact, an agreement between participating states that restores authority and responsibility for health care regulation to member states, was introduced in Michigan. The compact, introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (House District 45), allows member states to create laws that are better suited to the state’s needs, including amendments to the federal health care law passed last year.
“The Health Care Compact is a governance reform, not a health care reform,” said Eric O’Keefe, Chairman of the Health Care Compact Alliance. “Most Americans are frustrated by our health care system’s flaws and dismayed about the number of people the system fails. If passed, the compact will enable greater citizen influence in the policy making process, more competition in the marketplace, and more options for health care for millions of Americans."
The Health Care Compact has been introduced in 15 states and was signed into law in Georgia and Oklahoma. It has passed the State House of Representatives in Montana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona, Georgia and Texas. It has passed the State Senate in Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri, Tennessee and Georgia. In addition, in more than 36 states, citizen groups and state legislators are actively considering the Health Care Compact.
The Health Care Compact has been introduced in 15 states and was signed into law in Georgia and Oklahoma. It has passed the State House of Representatives in Montana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona, Georgia and Texas. It has passed the State Senate in Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri, Tennessee and Georgia. In addition, in more than 36 states, citizen groups and state legislators are actively considering the Health Care Compact.
"Our health care system is flawed at best and one of the reasons for this is that we have lost control over our health care decisions. This compact is not about health policy but rather who is better positioned to make the health care decisions -- the states or Washington, DC. We have wrongfully allowed bureaucrats in Washington to dictate our health care policies and this hasn't worked," said Rep. McMillin. "I introduced the Health Care Compact because I believe that states must have more control over their own health care futures. As state legislators, we better understand the health care needs of the people of our states and will be able implement better, more efficient ideas that are tailored to meet our specific needs."
For the Health Care Compact to become law it must be passed by both houses of the General Assembly, signed by the governor, and approved through Congress. The way health care works in a member state is not prescribed in the compact. Who and what is covered as well as the level of regulation are determined by each state after the compact is ratified.
The Health Care Compact is an initiative of the Health Care Compact Alliance, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to providing Americans more influence over decisions that govern their health care.
Interstate compacts have been used throughout U.S. history to allow states to coordinate in important policy areas. Authority for compacts was established in the Constitution (Article I, Section 10), and more than 200 such agreements are currently in effect. They are voluntary agreements between states that, when consented to by congress, have the force of federal law.
*Note – To set up an interview with the board of the Health Care Compact Allianceor a local Michigan supporter of the Compact please contact Meghan Tisinger atMeghanETisinger@gmail.com or (703) 965-1145
About the Health Care Compact Alliance
The Health Care Compact Alliance is a nonpartisan [501 (c)4] organization providing tools that enable citizens to exert greater control over their government. The Health Care Compact was developed to offer Americans more influence over decisions that govern health care. For more information, please visit www.healthcarecompact.org