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The Indiana Daily Student

politics

Democrats meet with Daniels to discuss health care

Critics often accuse politicians of extreme partisanship. The Affordable Care Act has been particularly politically divisive.

On Monday, Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels and Democratic gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates John Gregg and Sen. Vi Simspon, D-Bloomington, respectively, met to discuss implementation of the health care law.

Gregg faces Rep. Mike Pence, R-6th District, in the November election. Pence met with Daniels on Aug. 15 to discuss the same issue.

Gregg’s campaign issued a statement following his meeting with the governor. He said he will write formal comments about the law for Daniels within a few days.

Gregg said in the statement that whether individuals support the health care law or not, it has been passed, and states must follow it.

He said his job as governor would be to implement it in a way that would benefit
Hoosiers.

Pence, conversely, asked Gov. Daniels to not administer the requirements of the act. He said the cost to create a health care exchange could be at least $50 million per year, which would raise health care premiums. He said taxes would rise as a result, costing Indiana businesses and jobs.

Gregg said he supports the Healthy Indiana Plan but believes it should require maternity benefits, as the federal government does.

“Indiana’s (essential health benefits) must include the 10 required covered services (in the Affordable Care Act) and should include as many non-mandated but necessary services as possible,” Gregg said in a press release.

Daniels, Gregg and Simpson also discussed ideas for the health exchange, a system intended to make coverage affordable.

“States may choose a state-designed and controlled-exchange,” Gregg said. “They can choose a hybrid system that allows for a partnership with the federal government but still allows for state control, or they can choose a regional partnership with other states.”

Gregg said he and Simpson are “leaning toward” a hybrid system that would create such a partnership.

This system would share costs, which would limit Indiana’s financial burden, he said.
Gregg’s comments regarding Daniels’ current work to implement the law were largely positive.

“Our belief is that the most responsible position for the governor to take is the one that Gov. Daniels has been pursuing all along, to meet deadlines and apply for grant monies available to keep all options open to us,” Gregg said. “Because of the actions taken by Gov. Daniels, Indiana has already received $8 million to start this process.”

His comments about his opponent, however, were less so.

“Unfortunately, Congressman Pence has chosen to do nothing,” Gregg said. “In doing so, he makes the choice to abdicate his responsibility and throw Hoosiers under the federal bureaucracy bus, the same bureaucratic bus that he claims he so adamantly
opposes.”

Pence did offer his opinion about the act following his meeting with Daniels. He sent his formal comments to the governor last Tuesday.

“Obamacare erodes the freedom of every Hoosier,” Pence said in a press release. “It will increase the cost of health care and cripple job creation in our state. I believe Indiana should take no part in this deeply flawed health care bureaucracy.”

Gregg countered by saying Pence, who has been in Congress 12 years, has had enough time to stop the legislation.

“When this specific bill was brought up, he did not even offer a single amendment,” Gregg said. “Instead of fighting for substantive change and improvement, Congressman Pence has resorted to political posturing and grandstanding.”

Pence issued a statement in response to Gregg’s criticism, saying Hoosiers do not want to spend money on what he called a flawed bureaucracy.

“Hoosiers now have a clear choice in this election,” Pence said. “We can provide affordable and accessible health care through homegrown solutions like our Healthy Indiana Program, or we can embrace the Washington-based solution of Obamacare with its excessive federal regulation, taxes and penalties for employers.”

— Mary Kenney

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