Florida’s Gov. Finally Digs in Against Obamacare

Florida’s Governor Rick Scott has finally dug in his heels in opposition to the economic killer, Obamacare. Here NPR’s Gregg Allen explains the governor’s opposition.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced recently that the federal government is awarding some $67 million in grants to help health care groups around the country set up a network of so-called navigators. These helpers will reach out to people without health insurance, find out if they qualify for subsidies and assist them in shopping for coverage.

As a group, navigators will play a key role in helping carry out one of the Affordable Care Act’s missions — to bring coverage to millions of people who currently have no health insurance.

Before they are certified and begin work, the navigators are required to undergo 20 hours of training and pass a test. “They are going to be required to adhere to strict data security and privacy standards, including how to safeguard consumers’ personal information,” Sebelius said.

As part of the enrollment process, navigators will look at tax records, take Social Security numbers and have access to sensitive health information. Sebelius says her agency has done similar work for many years with Medicare and Medicaid recipients and that the rules in place safeguard privacy.

But Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, says he believes the federal rules are inadequate. In Miami for his monthly Cabinet meeting, Scott said, “It is unclear how the federal government will prevent personal information from being stolen or otherwise misused.”