Category Archives: Health Exchanges

April 19, 2013 Radio Commentary

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Preparing for the Worst, Praying for the Best

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, April 19, 2013 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

ACTION – Call 404 656-1776 and ask Governor Deal to refuse to
allow ahealth exchange to be created in Georgia.

 Good morning, Jim.  Try as we may, we cannot avoid the fact that Obamacare is law and the Supreme Court decided it IS constitutional and called it a tax, not a mandate to buy something we don’t want.

With that in mind, I’ll outline H.B. 198 that passed the House and Senate March 11th.  It authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to license navigators to work in a health exchange if necessary.  But I learned something important when I read the bill’s last paragraph that says:

“The provisions of this Act shall become applicable only upon the notification by the federal Department of health and Human Services … to the Governor, the Commissioner of Insurance, or other responsible … official of Georgia that a health insurance exchange has been created or approved to operate within the State of Georgia.”  That says Georgia will not have an exchange UNLESS the federal government sets it up under Obamacare. Continue reading →

April 13, 2013 Newsletter- On the Horizon, New State Laws

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Voters Lose Control of Sunday Sale of Beer & Wine …
Unless the Governor Vetoes H.B. 124

The introductory paragraph of Representative Harrell’s H.B. 124 explains how retail sales of distilled spirits and other alcoholic beverages are, currently, governed and will be governed in the future. H.B. 124 secures the right of malt beverage businesses to sell on Sundays by removing the right of future voters to EVER prohibit Sunday retail package sales of malt beverages and wine. Malt beverages are made from barley or other grain that’s soaked and softened in water until it sprouts. Then, it’s kiln-dried, brewed and distilled into beer and ale.

H.B. 124, actually, nullifies future election results in which the majority of voters disapprove of Sunday retail package sales of malt beverages and wine. However, it DOES authorize future voters to STOP Sunday retail sales of distilled spirits, i.e. liquor (alcoholic drinks made by distillation), rum (made from fermented sugar cane or molasses) and whiskey (strong alcoholic liquor distilled from fermented mash of grain, especially rye, wheat, corn or barley). Both provisions are included in H.B. 124, which passed March 4th.

H.B. 124, plainly, states: If more than one-half of the votes cast on the question are for disapproval of Sunday package sales by retailers of malt beverages, wine, and distilled spirits on Sundays between the hours of 12:30 P.M. and 11:30 P.M., such rejection shall not nullify the prior election results for approval of Sunday package sales by retailers of malt beverages and wine on Sundays between the hours of 12:30 P.M. and 11:30 P.M. pursuant to subsection (p) of this Code section.” (Page 2, lines 40 – 44)

H.B. 124 expands the definition of “retailer” or “retail dealer” to include a business that, primarily, sells distilled spirits and unbroken packages of malt beverages and wine, not for consumption on the premises, and whose retail sale of such is at least 75 percent of its total annual gross sales. (Page 3, lines 64 – 66)

Unless the governor vetoes H.B. 124, these things will happen: (1) Sunday retail package sales of malt beverages and wine will continue, regardless of the outcome of future referenda. (2) Sunday retail package sales of malt beverages and wine are permanent, UNLESS future legislators amend this law and return power to voters. (3) Sunday sales of hard liquor and whiskey will be the only alcoholic beverage sales voters may prohibit.

Although it’s obvious the bill protects beer, ale and wine businesses at the expense of community values, some retailers have been reluctant to open their business on Sunday for a very good reason – it’s not worth the trouble! They’ve learned that Sunday customers are those that formerly bought alcoholic beverages Monday through Saturday, but now wait until Sunday to spend the same amount of money. So, opening on Sunday ADDS to the retailers’ cost of doing business with no increased profit!

If H.B. 124 is not vetoed, it automatically becomes law July 1st.

ACTION – Before May 7th, call 404 656-1776 and ask Governor Deal to VETO H.B. 124.

  • To read the rest of this newsletter in PDF format, please click here.

March 1, 2013 Radio Commentary

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Bow to Obamacare or Exert State Sovereignty

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, March 1, 2013 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim.  Obamacare passed Congress March 23, 2010, almost exactly three years ago.  Then, in a 5-4 vote last summer, the Supreme Court called Obamacare a tax and said it was okay to force folks to buy government health insurance or pay hefty fines if they don’t.  Since that decision, some states have yielded to Obamacare and others oppose it, as infringing on state sovereignty.

Although it’s called the “Affordable Care Act,” a Cornell University economist calls Obamacare a “no-man’s land,” where millions of families can’t afford employer-sponsored family coverage and won’t qualify for government subsidies.

Last year, several Georgia legislators tried to protect us from Obamacare by introducing S.R. 889 to exercise our state’s constitutional right to reject federal encroachment into State affairs.  That bill died in committee and here we are, between a rock and a hard place. Continue reading →

January 4, 2013 Radio Commentary

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Health Exchanges = Government Insurance

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, January 4, 2013 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. Two sessions ago H.B. 476 was introduced to comply with Obamacare and establish a state health insurance exchange that would compete with private insurance companies. That bill died, but the threat of government-controlled health insurance is alive and well!

After the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare on June 28th, Governor Deal responded that he would NOT rush to implement Obamacare in Georgia, but would be in a holding pattern until after the election. Obamacare set November 16th as the original deadline for states to report their plans, but that was the day 20 states (including Georgia) announced their decision NOT to set up state exchanges. It was, also, the day Governor Deal wrote a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius to explain his position. This is part of what he said:

“As you know, I remain concerned with the one-size-fits-all approach and high financial burden imposed on states by this federal mandate. Therefore, the state of Georgia: will not pursue a state-based exchange, will not operate its own reinsurance program, will maintain separate small group and individual insurance markets, and will continue to define ‘small group employer’ as up to 50 employees for the purposes of the small group insurance market.” Continue reading →