Bryant, Reeves blast health care ruling

June 26--JACKSON -- Both Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves blasted Thursday's 6-3 ruling by the United States Supreme Court that ensures as many as 100,000 Mississippians can continue to receive federal subsidies to help with the cost of their health insurance.

The Supreme Court rejected the argument that language in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (known as Obamacare by some) prevents citizens who purchase insurance through the federal exchanges from being eligible for the subsidies.

Under the law, states had the options to establish their own exchanges where citizens could shop for health insurance. The residents in states where no exchanges were established could purchase insurance on the federal exchange.

But various conservative-leaning groups argued the plain reading of the law prevented the subsidies from being available in states that did not have their own exchange.

The Republican Bryant, who blocked the effort of Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney to establish a Mississippi-run exchange, blasted the Supreme Court ruling allowing the subsidies to continue for citizens who were forced to use the federal exchange.

In a statement, the first-term governor said, "It is incredibly troubling to me that a majority of United States Supreme Court justices -- including, again, the chief justice -- have found yet another way to uphold a portion of this disastrous law. Those who voted in the majority have set a dangerous precedent of blatantly disregarding the plain language of a bill as enacted by Congress.

"Mississippi was right, as were numerous other states, not to willingly entrench Obamacare by establishing a state-based exchange, and I will continue to resist any efforts that attempt to shove Obamacare deeper into this state."

Previously, the Supreme Court upheld another challenge to the controversial law with Chief Justice John Roberts being the deciding vote.

According to the national nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, 75,613 Mississippians would have lost the federal subsidies, which average $351 per month, if the Supreme Court had ruled against the use of the federal exchanges.

The ruling would have resulted in an average increase in health insurance premiums in Mississippi of 650 percent, according to Kaiser. The ruling would have impacted 6.38 million people nationwide in more than 30 states that were relying on the federal exchanges.

Chaney, a second-term Republican, said later figures indicate about 100,000 Mississippians could have been impacted by the ruling.

In a statement, the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program said, "Our state policy makers should recognize that health reform is working, abandon efforts to undermine it, and instead take advantage of the opportunities that health reform offers to improve lives. The next step should be the expansion of Medicaid."

Chaney said, "Although I may not agree with everything in the Affordable Care Act, it remains the law of the land, and I will continue to work within the framework of the law to regulate health insurance for the benefit of all Mississippians."

Earlier, the insurance commissioner had said he could have quickly established a state exchange had the Supreme Court ruled differently, but would not have made the effort without the blessing of the state's political leadership -- namely Bryant and Reeves.

Both Reeves and Bryant had rejected that idea, saying the United States Congress should act to address the issue.

On Thursday, Reeves said, "The Supreme Court has gone out of its way twice now to justify upholding a flawed policy that is politically unpopular because of its costs to the American people and our economy. ... I am committed to do everything I can to elect a conservative president that will repeal and replace Obamacare with a sensible, workable health care plan."

Bryant agreed, saying, "Republicans know there is a better way, and I call on Mississippi's congressional delegation to immediately renew its efforts to repeal and replace this train wreck of a law."

The subsidies are designed for people who work in jobs where their employers do not provide health insurance. The subsidies are designed to ensure no one has to pay above a certain level of their income for health insurance.

For instance, those making 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($48,500 for a family of four) are not supposed to have to spend more than 4 percent of their income on health insurance.

bobby.harrison@journalinc.com

Twitter: @bobbyharrison9

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