Health insurance mandate shot down by Floridians during election
The U.S. elections have come to a close and that has major implications for the U.S. insurance industry. In Florida, voters have voted “no” on an issue concerning a health insurance mandate. Mandatory health insurance has become a controversial issue throughout the country, but many states are beginning to show interest in passing their own mandates rather than allow the federal government to impose one of its own. Th
e federal Affordable Care Act imposes such a mandate on the entirety of the country, but states like Florida would much rather have their own mandate in place. This notion is not shared by Florida voters, apparently.
Florida continues to oppose federal health care reform
Florida is one of the 29 states that is staunchly opposed to the Affordable Care Act. The state has been fighting the federal health care reform law since it was passed in 2010. In August of this year, the matter finally went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the validity of the Affordable Care Act. This ensured that the law’s provisions, such as mandatory health insurance coverage, would be enforced when fully enacted in 2014. Though the law was declared constitutional, Florida has been looking for ways to sidestep federal intervention.
Lawmakers suggest states should impose their own mandates
One of the most significant complaints regarding mandatory health insurance coverage suggests that such a mandate is beyond the authority of the federal government. Florida lawmakers suggest that this power resides with the states themselves and not the overarching political system. As such, states should have the ability to determine whether their citizens should be required to carry health insurance coverage of any kind, according to lawmakers. Thus, the issue was put to a vote.
51% of voters oppose health insurance mandate
According to Politico, some 51% of Floridians voted against the institutions of a state-backed health insurance mandate. Approximately 48% of Floridians were in favor for such an initiative. This ensures that the state will not be able to impose its own mandate on residents, but could easily be used by lawmakers as a sign that consumers do not wish to be forced to purchase health insurance coverage of any kind.
