Twisting in the Wind

The guy who's face is on the $100 bill signed the Declaration of Independence then said "We must hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately". A fitting statement. Almost prophetic considering something similar is happening today with Obamacare.

In less than 3 months phase 1 of Obamacare rolls out with the introduction of a national risk pool (Obamapool). So far at least 15 states have said no thank you to the HHS Sebelius when she extended an invitation to join her in the pool.

The indecisive Charlie Crist is the latest to say no to Obamapool.

In a letter late Friday to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Crist said he agreed that states and the federal government must cooperate in expanding healthcare for Americans but said "unfortunately Florida is not in a position to authorize new financial obligations."

"We are in the process of balancing our budget on the final day of the 2010 legislative session," he wrote. "As governor of Florida, I cannot commit any state resources to participate in the federal temporary high-risk health insurance program."

That is the second sensible thing he has said in a week.

The other was his announcement to run as an independent in the upcoming Senate race following his visit to a palm reader who told him he had no chance to win as a Republican.

The Obamablitzkrieg is running into obstacles before it even get's out of the gate. All these grandiose ideas of health insurance for all are not working at the state level. Washington can write checks even without any money in the bank but states can't do that and the autocrats in DC either don't know that or choose to ignore it.

Not only are states balking at the Obamapool, but so far there aren't any insurance carriers that have stepped up to the plate either.

There is $5 billion dollars of play money being held by HHS for use as seed money to fund Obamapool. Even with the rules that make it impossible for anyone to join who has creditable coverage now, something tells me that money will run out long before the pools are set to expire in 2014.

"The bottom line is that all Americans who meet the eligibility criteria will have the opportunity to join a high-risk pool program," Jenny Backus, acting assistant secretary for public affairs, wrote in an HHS blog post Friday.

"Will have an opportunity" . . .

Makes it sound like a lottery drawing, doesn't it?