STATEHOUSE- State Rep. Sue Ellspermann (R-Ferdinand) has coauthored legislation that would adopt a Health Care Compact (HCC), an agreement which would allow Indiana to remove itself from the federal government’s universal health care mandate. The legislation, House Bill (HB) 1269, passed out of the House with a 61-34 vote on Tuesday. HCC is an alternative to the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and would allow Indiana to remove itself from the existing Federal law. An interstate compact is an agreement between two or more states that can be adopted as part of the law in each state with the consent of Congress. The HCC has to be approved by Congress and signed by the president, before it can be implemented. “The Healthcare Compact that Indiana passed today is one of our best opportunities to provide effective healthcare while managing its costs for Hoosiers. This is the first step to joining other states with similar healthcare compacts to encourage Congress to pass enabling legislation.” As part of the HCC, the Indiana General Assembly, working with a cross section of medical experts and citizens’ input, would determine if and how a health care system would operate in Indiana. The compact would allow Indiana to modify specific federal laws, regulations and orders concerning health care. Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas have all passed HCC and 18 other states are currently considering an agreement. -30- Rep. Ellspermann, Health Care Compact passes out of House.docx |
