Opposing the Health Care Mandate

by Arkansas Lt. Governor Mark A. Darr: Last month, in my capacity as an individual, I fulfilled a promise to the people of Arkansas by filing an amicus brief on behalf of the nearly 70% of Arkansans of all political stripes, who oppose the federal health care law, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPAC).

On Monday, July 18th, 21 states filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit supporting Lt. Governor Peter Kinder of Missouri in his constitutional challenge to the individual mandate provision of the federal health care law. Lt. Governor Kinder is a friend and I applaud his leadership on this issue.

Separately, more than 150 elected executive and legislative officials from states within the Eighth Circuit filed a brief asking the Court to reach a decision regarding the substantive constitutional issue and not delay resolving the case on procedural grounds.

According to the Arkansas Department of Human Services there are currently 26% or 771,000 Arkansans on Medicaid. Once the Healthcare Law goes into effect in 2014 over 35% or 1,021,000 will qualify for Medicaid. The federal government will pay for 100 percent of the Medicaid expansion in our state through 2016, and then the amount will gradually be reduced to 90 percent by 2020. That means in ten years, the cost to the state will be about $200 million a year. This is unsustainable.

As a small business owner I fully understand the ramifications this law will have for small businesses across our state. I have had the opportunity over the last year and a half to speak with small business owners and major employers concerning this issue. They have been and still remain steadfastly opposed to the health care reform act.

Under the new law, there is an exemption for providing health insurance for employers with fewer than 50 employees. In my own business, I employ just under 50 people. However, if I were to expand my business and add additional locations, which I would like to do at some point, the financial repercussions of this law would likely prohibit me from doing so. What are business owners to do if they cannot invest in and grow their business? Such regulations will kill jobs at a time when our economy and our citizens desperately need them. States and individuals must have the power put back in their hands to make decisions.

Our government is too big. It is too intrusive. It is restricting our individual freedom and our economic liberty. Arkansans everywhere are becoming increasingly resistant to the overreach of government at all levels. We have seen what a disaster the spending debate has become in Washington. Why would we want the same people to take control of our healthcare system?

Of course, the mandate requiring individuals to purchase health insurance is not the only intrusive part of the new health law. I recently visited a private physician-owned hospital here in our state. The CEO informed me that the new federal law essentially bans new physician-owned hospitals and will keep them from growing their current business. Why should the government have the power to make such decisions?

I don’t consider this a partisan issue. As they say, it’s the principle of the thing. I believe the federal mandate is unconstitutional. It violates individuals’ rights; it violates businesses’ rights; and, it violates states’ rights.

I am hopeful that the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals will move expeditiously in reaching a just and equitable decision on this matter. It is likely that this issue will eventually be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Let’s hope that common sense and liberty prevail.

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Tags: Lt Gov, Mark Darr, Arkansas, ObamaCare, Health Care Mandate To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!