http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51840.html#ixzz1HT6Iiudj

Ahhh yes, more health care waivers by Democrats... No greater admission of failure needed!


Weiner: Waiver might work for N.Y.
By: Kate Nocera
March 23, 2011 04:37 PM EDT

Rep. Anthony Weiner said Wednesday he was looking into how a health law waiver might work for New York City.

Weiner, who is likely to run for mayor of New York, said that because of the city’s special health care infrastructure, his office was looking into alternatives that might make more sense. Weiner is one of the health care law’s biggest supporters; during the debate leading up to reform, he was one of the last holdouts in Congress for the public option.

“The president said, ‘If you have better ideas that can accomplish the same thing, go for it,’” said Weiner. “I’m in the process now of trying to see if we can take [President Barack Obama] up on it in the city of New York, … and I’m taking a look at all of the money we spend in Medicaid and Medicare and maybe New York City can come up with a better plan.”

New York is one of two states that pass on Medicaid expenses to cities and localities, so “the city winds up having an enormous Medicaid expense,” Weiner said.

The congressman was trying to debunk Republican “myths” about the health care law during a speech at the Center for American Progress. He used the waivers as way to describe how flexible the law actually is and how “this notion that the government is shoving the bill down people’s throats” is not true.

“The administration needs to make this argument more forcefully,” he said. “A lot of people who got waivers were … people who are our friends.”

The New York Democrat said that he does not have the power to get the city to apply for a waiver but that he is “personally looking at whether he can make the numbers work.”

“We in New York already have hospitals, we already employ doctors and we employ nurses. We have a lot of uninsured people. … [Setting up] the exchanges is the one piece of the puzzle that would be difficult for us to do,” he said. “I’m just looking internally to whether the city can save money and have more control over its own destiny.

Weiner is slated to hold at least five events on the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act and has been one of the most outspoken Democratic supporters of the law.

“The administration needs to make this argument more forcefully,” he said. “A lot of people who got waivers were … people who are our friends.”

I'm unsure what exactly this quote means. It's a dangler since there are so far no waivers. I do think its a great idea. they mentioned that the state of NY pushes of the burden of medicare/caid onto the cities which would make the municipalities a wonderful starting point for the waivers. Though they'd have to match or reduce costs vs the federal plan. The article seems to leave the means of this waiver a bit ambiguous and maybe thats the congressmans fault. He may not have a specific plan yet

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope