Jackson Jambalaya

I encourage anyone reading this item on JJ to do a bit of research about Chaney's keynote speaker FORMER Governor Mike Leavitt.

Leavitt hasn't been a Governor for over a decade and will be here in his role as a consultant/lobbyist. Leavitt's firm is REAPING MILLION$$$ of dollars off of Obamacare by backstopping the efforts of this nation's Mike Chaneys as they bullshit their citizenry about the healthcare exchanges.

Leavitt has already been stroking Chaney's back for months.

New York Times, July 2012:
Mr. Leavitt’s full-time job is running his consulting company, Leavitt Partners, which is based in Salt Lake City and has advised officials in Mississippi, New Mexico and Pennsylvania, among other states. He shows them how to set up health insurance exchanges and where low- and middle-income people and small businesses can buy subsidized private insurance from competing carriers. He has also helped states prepare for the influx of millions of low-income people into Medicaid.

FURTHERMORE the verbatim spin that Chaney keeps parroting in the press and on Supertalk (the recipient of a big ass media contract from Chaney) is the same spin Leavitt is using as a sales pitch to bring in money for his consulting/lobbying efforts:

Mr. Leavitt represents one pole in a debate among Republicans. Some want nothing to do with the federal law. Others, like Mr. Leavitt, say it is better for states to take the initiative and set up exchanges rather than cede control to the federal government. Under the 2010 health care law, if a state does not set up and operate an exchange, the federal government will do so in the state.

“I understand why some of my fellow conservatives oppose the formation of insurance exchanges,” Mr. Leavitt said. But, he added, “continued inaction by states risks an Obama-style federal exchange being foisted upon a state.”

The exchanges will increase taxes in Mississippi but Chaney never mentions that. Instead he's trying to fool people about his efforts so that the hand of the Legislature will be forced to implement a tax increase.

Furthermore, Chaney also isn't divulging that he SUPPORTS THE EXPANSION of Medicaid. When asked by the members of the statewide press if he supports the expansion Chaney doesn't say NO. Instead he dodges and weaves and misdirects but never answers the question about expansion. Why? BECAUSE MIKE CHANEY SUPPORTS THE EXPANSION OF MEDICAID.

Leavitt is here to drain dollars out of the pockets of Mississippians. He IS NOT here in some role as an insightful Governor that we should all listen to. Leavitt is here to put some dollars into his wallet, a bunch into the wallets of insurance companies like United Health Care (a company that has been attached at the hip to Leavitt for 20+ years) and then, indirectly, some of the dollars will land in Chaney's campaign coffers. That is bottom line.

Better wake up Mississippi because Big Government Mike Chaney wants to make government a whole lot bigger, a whole lot more intrusive and a whole lot more expensive. And you'll never hear a word about it from Steve Davenport and Paul "Gallo".

Thanks for the Tea Party Update..

I just can't beleive that the Tea Party would go against something that is a "Free Market" Exchange (which Chaney has repeated multiple times). The exchange is going to be nothing more than a website that allows people to buy health insurance online just like an Expedia.com or Kayak.com does for individuals shopping for airplane tickets or better rates on hotel fares.

Also, I am a Republican that doesn't understand how the Right-wing Taliban or others call it Tea Party doesn't realize that this was a Republican idea that the Democrats allowed to be put in the PPACA (Obamacare) law on the request of the Republicans to sway votes. Just because Chaney is obeying the law doesn't make him a martyr for your stupid political persecution. I commend Commissioner Chaney for making the Tea Party crony in the Legislature (Sen. Anglea Burks Hill) look idiotic in the questions she asked in a hearing on Health Insurance Exchange Monday, December 10th. She truly showed the audience that she is a Freshman to the process and Commissioner Chaney is no fool when it comes to the legislative process, since he was a Senator and Representative.

Just because the internet was invented by Al Gore (HA) doesn't mean that we should all become pilgrims again, because it is a Democratic idea.

Mike Chaney is bought and paid for.

I'm a Republican and respect the rights of all Americans to freely express their opinions. Referring to anyone as a member of the Taliban is the demagoguery of an idiot who only wants to impose their opinions and choices on others.

Much like the Baptists like to do.

Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney supports the medicaid expansion because his insurance masters want the expansion.

Cowboy Phil is at it again!! He still wants the FEDS to come in here and establish the health care exchange. We'll have Ronnie Musgrove down here running the exchange for the Southern states! What the hell do you think he has been doing the last four years - kissing up to Obama's ass so he could get the business. Go back and read his letter to the editor in the Clarion Liar! Chaney is doing what he thinks is in the best interest of the citizens of Mississippi - to have Mississippians run it, not Obama's people!

EIGHT REASONS TO OPPOSE A STATE-RUN OBAMACARE EXCHANGE

1. Developing an exchange “by Mississippians for Mississippians” is a myth. Given the numerous and complex strings attached to federal funding, the feds will soon require exchanges to be uniform and subservient.

2. Developing an exchange that “will ensure choice, fiscal prudence and competition” ignores the fact that every bureaucracy expands (especially as the feds expand its mandate), encroaches and escalates in cost. Furthermore, free-market options already exist like
www.ehealthinsurance.com or www.getinsured.com.

3. Chaney's budget as presented on the Dept. of Insurance's website for implementing a Mississippi-run ObamaCare exchange shows the cost to be $47 million over a three and half year span. If all Chaney is doing is basically building a website, then why does it cost $47 million?

4. The ObamaCare law itself explicitly makes creation of a state-run health insurance exchange optional! It is perfectly legal for Mississippi officials to decide not to implement a state-run exchange.

5. The ObamaCare law says that if a State exercises its right to not implement a state-run ObamaCare exchange, the federal government will do it. However, Congress has never appropriated any funding to implement federally-run exchanges and the Republican House refuses to do so! Not implementing a state-run exchange very possibly means NO federally-run exchange either!

6. Refusing to implement a State-run ObamaCare exchange probably prevents the IRS from collecting the employer tax that is necessary to make ObamaCare work. The ObamaCare statute authorizes the IRS to collect the very substantial employer tax from employers only in states with state-run ObamaCare exchanges. Thus, Commissioner Mike Chaney’s state-run ObamaCare exchange is tantamount to taxing Mississippi employers when employers in neighboring states such as Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Florida are not similarly taxed.

7. Implementing A State-run ObamaCare Exchange is not supported by the Public. For instance The Magnolia Report conducted an online poll in July 2012. People were asked, “Should Mississippi set up a health exchange?” 82% of respondents selected the following answer: “No. We shouldn’t get near Obamacare.”

8. 20 states including most of Mississippi's neighbors are refusing to implement State-run ObamaCare exchanges. Also, a vast array of conservative groups oppose ObamaCare Exchanges including the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.

Richard Wilbourn
The Mississippi Tea Party
www.MSTeaParty.ning.com

BUT, of course, Mike Chaney has all the answers he needs to plow forward today. This is a reckless path and Chaney has put Mississippi at risk.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Pennsylvania will not set up its own health care exchange under the federal Affordable Care Act, at least not for now, Gov. Tom Corbett said Wednesday, putting the state on a course to join others led by Republicans that will let President Barack Obama's administration run its exchange.

Setting up a state-based exchange would be irresponsible, Corbett said, as he faulted federal authorities for what he called inadequate answers to his questions about cost and other issues.

"Health care reform is too important to be achieved through haphazard planning," Corbett said. "Pennsylvania taxpayers and businesses deserve more. They deserve informed decision making and a strong plan that responsibly uses taxpayer dollars."

Mississippi deserves better than the purchased pre-packaged spin, half-truths and bullshit from Mike Chaney.

If Chaney is such a great public servant and the best interest of Mississippians at heart why has he not qualified a health insurance carrier for HCTC.

HCTC is a program for citizens put out of work by their jobs being moved overseas(along with a few other stipulations).

At last count over 1500 Mississippians are eligible for this program----AT NO COST TO OUR STATE.

Yet Chaney cant find one carrier to qualify..

Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida and 34 other states participate in this program

More information at IRS.gov/HCTC

Although the 24/7/365 race baiting Jackson Free Press doesn't some alternative weeklies actually do investigative reporting.

SANTA FE REPORTER: Leavitt Partners Declines to Disclose Private Equity Investments

A state contractor awarded $1.1 million of taxpayer money to help New Mexico implement Obamacare is declining to disclose its private equity investments.

In late April, Gov. Susana Martinez' administration awarded Leavitt Partners the 12-month contract to help the state shape its own health insurance exchange, an online shop where people will purchase coverage and apply for benefits under Obamacare starting in 2014. Leavitt Partners is a Salt Lake City, Utah-based consulting firm founded in 2009 by that state's former Republican governor, Michael O. Leavitt.

Last week, SFR reported on the close ties between Leavitt Partners and Leavitt Group--one of the nation's largest privately held brokerage firms now run by Michael Leavitt's two brothers, Eric and Dane. State lawmakers and health care advocates [ed: in New Mexico] expressed concerns about Leavitt Partners' influence in crafting the exchange ...

Mike Chaney has Mississippi hooked up with a "consultancy" that makes money, directly and indirectly, off of Insurance Commissioner Chaney's every move. You won't hear (or read) about any of this from Steve Davenport or Paul "Gallo" or, for that matter, from Donna Ladd.

It is time for all Mississippians to ask Commissioner Chaney why he has attached Mississippi and his exchange to Mike Leavitt.

Only 15 States Opt to Run Obamacare Exchanges

Thursday, 13 Dec 2012 CNBC, Reuters By David Morgan

Only 15 states have told the federal government they plan to operate health insurance exchanges under President Barack Obama's reform law, leaving Washington with the daunting task of creating online marketplaces for two-thirds of the country.
***
In written testimony, Cohen said that while 15 states have told the administration they will operate exchanges, 11 others have opted for versions that will require major involvement by the federal government.
Experts say the number of states planning to operate their own exchanges could reach 18, plus the District of Columbia, by the time the deadline arrives Friday.
But the administration would still be left to set up exchanges in at least 30 states, a challenge that is raising questions about how successfully U.S. officials can implement a key provision of the health care reform law.
Friday is the last day states can opt out of the administration's health insurance exchange, and about half of the country is saying "no thanks." Betsy McCaughey, Defend Your Healthcare founder.
"I don't envy them for the job that they have," said Dennis Smith, who heads health services in Wisconsin, a state that has decided not to pursue its own exchange. “At the end of the day, you're trying to connect a buyer to a seller. And the fundamental things required to do that are not yet in place," he said.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which Obama signed into law more than 2 1/2 years ago, is expected to extend health coverage to more than 30 million uninsured Americans. Those who enroll in Obamacare starting in October would be covered by insurance from Jan. 1, 2014. About half of those newly insured individuals would purchase private coverage from online exchanges at federally subsidized rates. Ultimately, the number of people finding coverage through exchanges is expected to reach 26 million, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
The remainder would be covered by expanding the Medicaid program for the poor to cover all adults earning up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $15,000 for individuals and $30,600 for a family of four.
***
States that don't run their own exchanges would opt for one of two alternatives: a federally facilitated exchange that requires minimal state participation, or a federal partnership exchange in which states help by performing certain duties. States have until Feb. 15 to say whether they intend to seek a federal partnership exchange. Four have done so already, Cohen said. The administration will have to engineer an information technology system capable of processing operations in a way that meet the needs of health care consumers in different states.
Experts say the biggest challenge will likely be providing adequate customer service to handle enrollment, as well as fielding a technology system capable of interfacing seamlessly with the system of each state government. Cohen told the panel that the administration is building a website with interactive capabilities and a call center and has begun testing a data services hub designed to determine eligibility.