Legislature looking at Obamacare implementation

The legislators are learning an entirely new language this session, which is the result of the Affordable Care Act coming from the feds. President Obama’s platform on who should be in the pool, who shouldn’t and what it will look like when delivered to the citizens is starting to grow legs.

House Bill 250, sponsored by Rep. Liz Bangerter, R-Helena, was heard in the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee. It is an attempt to detail who can certify and train the people who will be recommending one plan over another to the citizens.

Enrollment will begin Jan. 1, 2014, for insurance plans sold on the exchange. Of course, if you qualify for a subsidy to the health plan, there will be a safety net. Nobody knows the limits on income yet, but trained people will lead you through the massive paperwork.

Households with four people and an income of $92,000 may qualify for a free or low-cost program under current rules. With average household incomes hovering around $68,000 for a Montana family of four, we can see that the majority of us will be in the free or reduced line. How many of us would consider $92,000 a poverty income?

Only those companies with less than 50 employees will go to the exchange. Larger companies will be proving their own plan and having it scrutinized by the federal government.

Grants will be available for all this training needed to implement Obamacare, not yet determined. Taxpayer money will be used for the grants and will be applied for by various groups, though there are no grants currently available.

Are you confused yet? I hope I’m not the only one scratching my head and asking questions. It gets even better. Now the health care reform will have “counselors,” “assisters” and “navigators” to get us on the path of insurance correctness. Long gone is the time where we could depend on our local agent to have a grasp on what’s best for us or our employers to offer a decent package. Now the federal government is going to insert itself into our lives and make it more “affordable” to have insurance for the masses.

HB250 was heard about four weeks ago in a House committee. The bill already needs an amendment during the Senate hearing because the feds have decided yet another part of the puzzle which has to be in Montana law. I imagine the number of amendments to this piece of legislation will only grow as rulemaking is decided in Washington, D.C.

This bill provides training requirements for the “counselors” and in-person “assisters” along with “navigator” training. By the time this bill has all its moving parts nailed down, someone said there will probably be a “page turner” involved in training, too.

As for me, with words like “assisters” and “navigators,” I feel I’m in a bad sequel to “Avatar.” The federal insurance plans are swooping in. Buckle up. It’s going to be an interesting ride.

Sen. Dee Brown represent Senate District 2, Columbia Falls and Whitefish.