Right Winning War on State Health-Insurance Exchanges (Politico)

The Cato Institute’s Michael Cannon has been making the rounds to state lawmakers to tell them that they should not lift a finger to implement President Obama’s health reform by setting up health exchange. The New Hampshire Legislature not only allowed a Republican-sponsored exchange bill to die this winter, but the House also passed a bill prohibiting the state from enacting an exchange. The approach of these national organizations has reflected sophisticated lobbying know-how, suggested Alabama Republican state Rep. Greg Wren. Many legal experts doubt Cannon’s analysis of the health law, and it’s risky for state lawmakers to leave their state’s future up to uncertain interpretation, said Cheryl Smith, director of the exchange practice for Leavitt Partners. “He may be right, but if you’re a state policymaker, do you really want to be the farm on that?”