Hey, me too.
Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) is a little behind the curve (shocking, I know) but he's not going to be left out of the game of making sure that as many people in Texas as possible
are denied affordable health insurance.
Gov. Rick Perry has directed the Texas Department of Insurance to establish strict rules to regulate so-called navigators trained to help Texans purchase health coverage under Obamacare.
While the governor says the extra regulations will ensure that people handling Texans’ private financial and health information are properly trained and qualified, the rules could present a significant roadblock to organizations helping to implement the federal Affordable Care Act.
"This is blatant attempt to add cumbersome requirements to the navigator program and deter groups from working to inform Americans about their new health insurance options and help them enroll in coverage,” Fabien Levy, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in an email.
Gee, you think? The rules he's directed include that navigators have to complete a minimum of 40 hours of state training on top of their federal training. They'll have to pass a rigorous exam based on that training, they'll have to submit to "periodic background and regulatory checks and show state identification while on the job," and of course pay fees for their training and their registration. They'll also be strictly limited in what assistance they can actually provide, once they manage to jump through all these hoops.
In sum, people helping other people get health insurance will be subject to more regulation and oversight in Texas than fertilizer plants.