Walker: States are best option to run health care

Posted at 3 p.m. on July 29, 2017

The Brillion News

MADISON – The failure of the Congress to come up with a replacement for Obamacare prompted an alternative idea from Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

On Saturday (July 29), Walker called on the federal government to get out of health care and turn regulation of it over to the state governments.

“The best way to repeal and replace Obamacare is to give each state the resources and responsibility for health care. Specifically, provide each state with an adequately funded block grant as well as full responsibility for decisions regarding health care and health insurance coverage,” Walker said. “Giving states full responsibility allows decisions to be make closer to the people so they can accommodate state and regional needs as opposed to a one-size-fits-all mentality from Washington.”

Walker said the welfare reform law that was signed in 1996 is a viable model.

States then were given block grants that are still used today and welfare rolls dropped as people transitioned from government dependence to independence through work.

Despite having majorities in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, Republicans have been unable to pass a program to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act – even though it was a major promise in the 2016 elections.