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Sunday, May 30, 2010
Ind. Gov't. - "But I'm convinced that Daniels could make this health care law work for Indiana - even if he hates doing it every step of the way"
Great opinion column today by Lesley Stedman Weidenbener of the Louisville Courier Journal. After noting that cost estimate for the new program range from the Kaiser Family Foundation's $478 million--$899 million to Daniel's original estimate of $3.6 billion a year, Weidenbener continues:
I think there's little doubt there will be increased cost to the state. Over time, I think it will be fairly substantial, although I wouldn't want to try to put a number on it.Still, I'm surprised that Daniels has spent as much time as he has carping about it.
Certainly, the law is nothing Daniels would ever support. It just doesn't match up with his philosophy about government. And so, since the health care law passed, and even before, Daniels has been quite vocal in his opposition.
But it's time to move on. It's time to figure out how to make the law work in Indiana.
Granted, the most dramatic of the provisions - particularly the expansion of Medicaid - won't occur until after Daniels has left office. But that's no reason to not try to position the state to best work within the new system. * * *
[W]here's the progressive governor that dreamed up and then implemented HIP? Where's the guy who launched a record amount of road construction by implementing a controversial lease of the Indiana Toll Road? What happened to the public official who boldly moved Indiana into daylight saving time, dragging Hoosiers kicking and screaming all the way?
Now, Daniels seems relegated to simply complaining about the new federal health care law, rather than trying to figure out how the state can work within the new structure to give Hoosiers better coverage.
Daniels' opposition to the health care law has garnered him some national political attention. And certainly, the talk about his running for president has to be flattering.
But I'm convinced that Daniels could make this health care law work for Indiana - even if he hates doing it every step of the way.
Daniels has more than two years before he leaves office. It will be interesting to see whether he uses it to put Indiana's next governor in a better position to deal with the upcoming health care changes or just leaves the situation untouched for the next leader to sort out.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on May 30, 2010 08:51 AM
Posted to Indiana Government