Obama endorses key change to health care law

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama endorsed a significant change to his health reform law Monday, signing
on to bipartisan legislation that would allow states to opt out of
federal requirements — including the individual mandate — three years
earlier than scheduled.

The announcement came during a meeting with the nation’s governors at the White House,
in which Obama said he was responding to state leaders’ requests for
greater flexibility in meeting the requirements of the landmark 2010
legislation.

Under the original health reform law, states would
be allowed to opt out of the requirements of the federal proposal in
2017 if they implemented their own health reforms. To obtain a waiver,
states need to demonstrate that their own reforms meet the goals of the
federal law, including extending coverage to as many citizens as would
be available through the exchanges in the federal law, lowering overall
costs and not adding to the federal deficits.

The change Obama embraced Monday is based on an amendment co-sponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Scott Brown, R-Mass.; and Mary Landrieu, D-La., which accelerates that timeline to 2014.

“I think that’s a reasonable proposal,” Obama said.
“It will give you flexibility more quickly while still guaranteeing the
American people reform.”

In announcing the move, Obama also tweaked one of
his potential Republican rivals for his 2012 re-election campaign,
highlighting the health reform law enacted in Massachusetts.

“I agree with Mitt Romney, who recently said he’s proud of what he accomplished on health care in Massachusetts and supports giving states the power to determine their own health care solutions. He’s right,” Obama said.

The Massachusetts
law enacted by Romney is considered one of his major liabilities as
Republicans appeal to the conservative activists who will dominate the
primary elections. Other Republicans have called for repealing the
federal law.

The federal law’s individual mandate that all
Americans have health insurance is the basis for multiple lawsuits,
including one filed by state attorneys general, challenging its
constitutionality.

After an electoral drubbing last fall, the president
had signaled his willingness to support tweaks to the 2010 law, though
he hoped to avoid relitigating the issue.

“Anything can be improved,” he said in his State of
the Union address in January. “If you have ideas about how to improve
this law by making care better or more affordable, I am eager to work
with you.”

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(c) 2011, Tribune Co.

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