Jindal punishes Louisianans by refusing to set up health insurance exchanges

The Republican governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, is punishing the people of Louisana by refusing to set up health care exchanges as directed by the Affordable Care Act, which now has been declared constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Louisiana was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, plunging the state into economic crisis. Now the governor is creating another crisis of withholding valuable health care information that could save the people of his state millions and facilitate their access to health insurance information through the process of selecting health insurance they can afford and is appropriate for them.

Louisiana is ranked 49 out of 50 states based on poverty level. Of the state's population, 18.1 percent of the people live below the poverty line. The median household income is $43,445 according to the U.S. Census and is exemplary of the middle class. So who is going to suffer by Jindal’s Draconian decision? Certainly not the Jindal family.

Jindal’s financial disclosure report for 2011 lists his $127,407 annual salary as governor plus various sources of investment income for him and his wife Supriya. Interest, dividend and capital gains income is reported in ranges. View all his sources of income here.

Jindal has been suggested as a possible vice presidential running mate for Mitt Romney, and like Romney he says he won’t implement “Obamacare” even though the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law. Clearly his views are based on Romney getting elected in November.

"Elections have consequences," Jindal said on a conference call with Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell set up by the Republican National Committee. "Elections matter. This one matters a lot,” according to USA Today.

The law requires states to set up exchanges by January 2014 that will help people buy health insurance from a range of companies. Jindal says he won't "set up an exchange." Louisiana, instead, is going to leave that task to the federal government. This is an interesting comment since the political stance of Republicans is to allow states freedom to be independent in many instances.

Health Insurance Exchanges are, for most states, new entities that will function as a marketplace for buyers of health insurance, giving them choices for health coverage. They will offer a variety of certified health plans and provide information and educational services to help consumers understand their options. The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) gives states the option to establish one or more state or regional exchanges, partner with the federal government to run the exchange, or to merge with other state exchanges. If a state chooses not to create an exchange, the federal government will set up the exchange(s) in the state.

Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have already set up health insurance exchanges.

Jindal’s decision is putting party politics ahead of the health and welfare of the people of his state by depriving them of valuable information. In an article here at allvoices, Herbert Dyer Jr. describes “Nullification and Interposition” and how it has been used historically in the South for years, and it looks like Gov. Jindal is keeping the tradition alive.

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Resources

http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/state-actions-to-implement-the-health-benefit-exch.aspx

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/06/bobby-jindal-health-care-supreme-court-ruling-exchanges/1

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/jindal_lists_salary_income_sou.html

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/12488635-republican-response-interposition-and-nullification