Today in the Glories of Federalism
By The state of Missouri is trying to ensure that as many of its citizens lack access to health care as possible.
While states like Colorado, Connecticut and California race to offer subsidized insurance to their citizens, Missouri stands out among the states that have put up significant obstacles. It has refused to create an insurance exchange, leaving the job to the federal government. It has forbidden state and local government officials to cooperate with the federal exchange.
It has required insurance counselors to get state licenses before they can help consumers navigate the new insurance market. And, like many states, it has refused to expand Medicaid.
“It’s like running an obstacle course every day of the week, but the course changes from day to day,” said Herb B. Kuhn, president of the Missouri Hospital Association, a strong advocate of expanded coverage.
And let’s be clear about where to place the blame — with the Democratic Party:
Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, said debate on the ballot measures had been highly political. He has held dozens of events to promote the expansion of Medicaid, stressing its economic benefits for the state. But Republicans hold two-thirds of the seats in each house of the legislature.
Look, if only Nixon would just agree to ban all abortions I’m sure the Republicans who control the state legislature would totally agree to the Medicaid expansion, so I blame him. But he’s still not the primary villain here — had Barack Obama not invented judicial review, bicameralism, and federalism none of this would be possible.