Chris Christie: Obamacare is Killing the States

Widely reported in the blog world is the fact that the latest projections show that Obamacare will increase the federal deficit, not decrease it as progressives contend. What is not widely reported is that the mandates that accompany the government run-health care plan saddle the states with an oppressive financial burden.

CNS News spoke to conservatives favorite Governor Chris Christie who says that the problem is not only the financial burden but the fact that there is no flexibility in the way states are allowed to provide benefits:

“Listen, I think that there’s got to be a credible plan that’s put forward that deals with entitlements in a serious way," said Christie on the red carpet of MSNBC's White House Correspondents Dinner after-party. "And, you know, I think Congressman [Paul] Ryan’s got a good set of ideas there. Whether it’s the only way to go, we’ll wait and see.

"But I think as a governor what I’m most concerned about is getting us some more flexibility in Medicaid," said Christie. "It’s really kind of drowning the states. And so if his budget gives us more flexibility in Medicaid, I think that would be good. But you know I’m more concerned about what I have to do in New Jersey than I’m concerned about what they’re going to do nationally.”

Christie said the Medicaid mandates under the health care law are the largest concern for New Jersey.

“It’s Medicaid. It’s the biggest thing. I mean, our Medicaid program is $1.4 billion in deficit this year and because of Obamacare we can’t change the level of benefit that we offer because of the mandates that they’ve put on us. And, I think, you know, if we’re going to pay for 50 percent of it, we should have some control over it and the way this administration’s done it is they just want to control all of it. So, that’s the biggest problem for us,” he said.

Beginning in 2014, the health care law requires states to cover every individual under Medicaid whose income is equivalent to 133 percent of the poverty level or less.

 Typical progressive strategy, not only did they kick the "cost can" down the road with their funky accounting such as double counting the medicare cuts, but they also kicked it toward the states, who are stuck with half the cost, but no say in how it's spent.