A Blow to Obamacare

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, August 22, 2014 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

On July 22nd the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled on the legality of Obamacare in states that did not establish a health insurance exchange. Immediately, State Representative Jason Spencer issued a press release explaining how Obamacare would be affected in Georgia, if the decision is upheld. This is what he said.

The Court invalidated the mandatory taxpayer subsidies that helped people pay insurance premiums through Obamacare’s federal exchanges. Since the Court struck down the subsidy plan, enrollees have to pay out-of-pocket full premium prices for their insurance, whether they choose a gold, silver or platinum plan. But the Court failed to explain whether subsidies already distributed would have to be repaid to the government.

Since Georgia, reportedly, was the first state to ban the creation of a state health insurance exchange under Obamacare and, subsequently, did not establish an exchange, millions of local exemptions from Obamacare mandates were affirmed by this Court decision. Benefiting from Georgia exemptions are 11,000 businesses, 420,227 low-to-middle income individuals and 112,991 state employees, for a grand total of 2.5 million Georgians now exempt. Also, Georgia taxpayers benefit with untold millions of dollars that will not be redistributed for Obamacare in Georgia. Continue reading →