Concord, NH – Republican members of the Joint Health Care Reform Oversight Committee today issued the following statements after disclosure from Governor Hassan’s office as well as the Department of Insurance that her administration would no longer be pursuing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the federal government with regards to the implementation of the Health Care Exchange Partnership as was originally promised to the committee last month. The Hassan Administration has instead indicated an intention to move forward with the proposed partnership without an agreed upon MOU.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Andy Sanborn (R-Bedford) said:
“The Governor’s suggestion that she can single-handedly implement ObamaCare in New Hampshire without a contract or MOU of how the federal government is going to take over providing insurance to New Hampshire citizens is astonishing. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will forever change how insurance is provided to the people of this state and the Governor’s office is now deliberately pulling back on a promise to be transparent and disrespecting the legislative process. This act of purposefully withholding details on ACA implementation only further suggests the Governor and Washington bureaucrats do not want the legislature, taxpayers, or small business owners to know the details or costs of this expansion. New Hampshire government does not operate under the cover of darkness, and the Governor needs to bring an MOU to the Oversight Committee, as promised, showing a complete, detailed plan of how she intends to implement this costly venture.”
Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) said:
“I am extremely disappointed that, after promising legislative oversight, Governor Hassan is seemingly reneging on that promise. I am concerned a Health Care Exchange partnership will not protect taxpayers, will increase consumer confusion, and subvert New Hampshire sovereignty. Those concerns are heightened when it appears the Governor’s office is choosing to not layout the next steps of this process in a MOU as they had earlier indicated they would.”
Representative John Hunt (R-Cheshire 11) said:
“After listening to the presentation from the Executive Branch, I conceded to considering the state enter into a partnership exchange to protect New Hampshire’s interests, specifically because the Governor’s office committed to providing an MOU to our committee which would provide complete details on how the ACA would be implemented. Now that the Governor has refused to share an MOU, the people of this state have no idea on the cost, timing, affects and options associated with how the exchange, partnership and plan management will be enacted and operated. It is exceptionally disturbing to see the Governor attempt to implement the ACA, void of real, honest transparency on this important issue and I do hope the Governor reconsiders such a reckless action knowing how much money, time and effort is at stake here.”
Note: The next meeting of the Joint Health Care Reform Oversight Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9th at 8:00AM.