Gov. Heineman's Statement on Health Care Ruling

(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman today offered the following statement regarding the Supreme Court of the United States ruling on President Obama’s federal health care overhaul law.
“As a result of today’s Supreme Court ruling, it is now more important than ever that Mitt Romney be elected President of the United States. Obamacare will continue to dramatically increase the cost of health care.
“In overhauling America’s health care system, President Obama should have focused on controlling health care costs. The focus should be on patient-centered health care that emphasizes prevention, wellness and quality outcomes. There are many ways to achieve affordable patient-centered health care without the unaffordable, unsustainable, regulatory nightmare of Obamacare.
“To name a couple of examples, nationally, we need an efficient electronic medical system that reduces costs rather than an inefficient paper-based system. We need hospital transparency for the consumers of health care. The prices of routine medical operations ought to be posted on the Internet so that citizens can make more informed decisions. Instead, America now has Obamacare which increases taxes and continues an unfunded Medicaid expansion.
“The ramifications of today’s multifaceted Supreme Court ruling are very intricate and deeply complex. Reviewing this decision in a detailed, thoughtful and responsible manner will likely take weeks and months before a complete determination can be made on what this ruling means for Nebraska. One unexpected and convoluted element of the ruling is the unfunded Medicaid expansion is now an option for the states.
“As I have said repeatedly, if this unfunded Medicaid expansion is implemented, state aid to education and funding for the University of Nebraska will be cut or taxes will be increased. If some state senators want to increase taxes or cut education funding, I will oppose them. Again, I want to emphasize that reviewing this decision in a detailed, thoughtful and responsible manner will take time before a complete determination can be made on what this ruling means for Nebraska.”