The deadline is approaching this week for governors who opted out of provisions of the Affordable Care Act to change their minds. Louisiana Republican Governor Bobby Jindal is refusing to set up a state-run health insurance exchange for people who can’t afford plans in the current market.
Louisiana Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu is turning up the pressure on Jindal. She wants the state to establish a system under the new guidelines instead of having the federal government impose general standards.
“We have almost the highest number of uninsured people in the country, so we have larger numbers than most people," said Landrieu. "We have some serious illnesses that are above the national average when it comes to either diabetes or obesity or sickness related to cancer, etc., so there are opportunities to either recruit some special insurance companies to come into our state or just designing a system that is appropriate for Louisiana.”
The Jindal administration has maintained that the Affordable Care Act has severe legal problems, and is bad policy that just won’t work. The deadline for states to notify their decisions to the U.S. Health and Human Services office is Friday.