GA. Gov. Nathan Deal Sends Letter to Feds Declining Participation in Obama Care Exchange

By Stan | Published on November 23, 2012 | Updated on November 23, 2012 3:00 PM EST

Thumbing his nose at President Obama and the spirit of bi-partisan cooperation, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal on Friday sent a letter to the Obama administration saying Georgia will not set up its own health-care exchange, due to “Obama Care’s one-size fits all approach and the high cost” it puts on states.

“I remain committed to common sense health-care solutions that empower consumers to take responsibility for their own health, motivate the private sector and drive efficiencies for consumers, employers and governments alike,” Deal said in the letter. “I continue to hope that we might finally engage in a serious conversation about restoring meaningful flexibility to states around health care programs.”

Deal said the federal government needs to loosen regulations that restrict states’ options.

“We have no interest in spending our tax dollars on an exchange that is state-based in name only,” Deal said, in a statement. “I would support a free market-based approach that could serve as a useful tool for Georgia’s small businesses, but federal guidelines forbid that. Instead, restrictions on what the exchanges can and can’t offer render meaningless the suggestion that Georgia could tailor an exchange that best fits the unique needs of its population.”

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