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- I was hoping Lt. Gov. Dennis "Let's Campaign for Three Years" Daugaard would tell his task force to get their collective rear in gear and do a better job of openness than his boss. Alas, with its draft proposals out and final report due in 12 days, the task force hasn't managed to publish of its meeting minutes since June. That's three meetings we're being left in the dark on. If we're about to get stuck with a scheme to boost profits for the insurance industry, we'd like to know how the discussions that led to that scheme went.
- Recommendation #14, the radical change buried on page 3 of the draft proposal, says Pierre will force us to either buy insurance or prove "financial ability to pay for health care costs." Financial ability -- hmph! that standard excludes pretty much everyone but Denny Sanford. The problem with the current system (and especially with HSAs) is that even middle-income families can't afford good insurance and save up enough money to protect themselves from medical bankruptcy. Just what "health care costs" will the state decide is the amount an individual ought to be able to reasonably cover? A yearly check-up, a couple prescriptions, and a broken leg? Bypass surgery? Chemotherapy? It will be fascinating to learn just how rich is rich enough to escape the Rounds/Daugaard administration's latest proposal for expanding state government for the benefit of its friends in private industry.
Drinking Liberally Update (11/15/2024)
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In Politics: Nationally: The Election is over and the wrong side won. I
have nothing to contribute to the barrels of ink being used by Pundits to
explain a...
3 days ago
This is not a proposal of the Rounds/Daugaard administration. It is a proprosal of a legislatively created task force. Daugaard was the chair, but each recommendation was adopted by the majority of the commission - you don't even know if Daugaard necessarily supported all of the recommendations.
ReplyDeleteWe will know who supports what come session - We will see if the governor or any legislators bring any bills based on this report.
Supporters of Rounds and Daugaard can only hope they can distance themselves from this policy train wreck. Of course, if the task force would publish its minutes, we could determine whether Daugaard supported recommendation #14 or anything else on the list.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, though, Daugaard's the chairman of the task force, appointed by Governor Rounds. (Read the "Message from Governor Rounds" at the Zaniya Project site to see this isn't purely a creature of the legislature.) A chairman generally has to take ownership of his committee's work... unless his leadership doesn't really amount to much. Hmm....
And don't forget: the primary contact listed on the Zaniya website is Kevin Forsch, senior advisor, office of Governor M. Michael Rounds.
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