Democratic Legislature in LA Passes Health Care Choice Legislation

by Chad Giganti The Pelican Institute’s Fergus Hodgson reports on the importance of health care choice legislation that passed earlier this week in Louisiana. The bill focuses on challenging an unconstitutional individual mandate that forces people to buy health care insurance (whether they want to or not). The legislation was modeled on American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Freedom of Choice...

by Chad Giganti

The Pelican Institute’s Fergus Hodgson reports on the importance of health care choice legislation that passed earlier this week in Louisiana. The bill focuses on challenging an unconstitutional individual mandate that forces people to buy health care insurance (whether they want to or not). The legislation was modeled on American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act, which has already passed in Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, and Virginia.

While Louisiana is the fifth state to pass a version of the Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act, the Pelican State is the first with a Democrat-controlled legislature to do so, signaling bipartisan opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, better known as ObamaCare.

Said ALEC’s Health Task Force Director, Christie Herrera: “Today Louisiana sends a clear message to the President and Congress that there is broad, bipartisan opposition to the centerpiece of their health reform agenda.”

While many commentators have brushed off victories in red states like Virginia and Arizona, Louisiana’s legislation shows that there’s hope for blue states like Illinois.

Similar legislation to the Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act has been introduced or filed in 42 states, including Illinois. Rep. Bill Mitchell (R-Rock Falls) introduced HB6842 in March, and it would prohibit an individual mandate to purchase health insurance and would provide the state’s citizens with protection in a constitutional challenge of the federal health reform bill.

For more on how Illinois leaders can create an effective, consumer-driven approach to health care reform, come to this Saturday’s Policy Solutions Forum 2010 to hear ALEC’s Christie Herrera speak in person.