Is N.H. 'ground zero' for health care law roll-out problems?

MANCHESTER, N.H. —On Sunday, The New York Times declared that New Hampshire was “ground zero” for the roll-out problems of the Affordable Care Act. The argument goes like this:

the Granite State is home to one U.S. Senator who gets national air time railing against it while the three Democrats in Congress from the state are proposing or voting for bills that tweak the bill. Add to that the fight in the state house this week on whether to expand Medicaid as prescribed in Obamacare.

Former state Democratic Chair Kathy Sullivan disagrees with the “ground zero” characterization.

I don’t know where he got the notion that there is a sense of serious threat. Reading that story made me think he had already written the story in his mind then went out and tried to find support for it,” Sullivan said. “So, no, despite the best effort of the national media to go all ‘the sky is falling,' I don’t see it.”

John Stephen, the former state Health and Human Services Commissioner and 2010 Republican nominee for governor, said New Hampshire might very well be Obamacare’s “ground zero.”

“Yes absolutely New Hampshire will be ground zero, however, the strength of the debate and alternative solution offered, which must include fiscally responsible values, quality access to those in need, assure personal responsibility, and competition among providers, may rest in what happens in Concord on Thursday,” said Stephen. “ Both the House and Senate plans adopt the ACA's approach in its entirety, and, although they may sound like different components, they simply provide more coverage for an expansive population, rather than offering real meaningful solutions to the global health care problem nationally.

Another Republican strategist disagreed, pointing out that three things are needed for this analogy to play out, and his party doesn’t have the last item yet.

“But a “ground zero” needs at least three things – a location (New Hampshire), a bomb (Obamacare disaster) and someone to deliver the bomb (as-yet-to-be-named credible GOP candidates),” the strategist said.



Read more: http://www.wmur.com/political-scoop/is-nh-ground-zero-for-health-care-law-rollout-problems/-/16254890/23034888/-/393ifrz/-/index.html#ixzz2l2dNLhik

This was  a personal e-mail to me...:

I had a test scheduled at an imaging center that was covered by our previous insurance Aetna. I called Cigna and it would be out of Network and would have been covered at a very different rate if at all. Also I checked the hospital in Derry, that is not in network either.

You may want to confirm before you have any tests or go to the hospital which ones are in and out of network.

Half the hospitals are out of network for the new Obamacare. He is indeed right, if you are signed up with the new program, you certainly need to check your hospitals as well as your doctors to see if they are in network.