Did you know:
- The Obamacare Exchange – called the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace (Act 1500 of 2013) – is projected to cost taxpayers $40 million in 2015 and $72 million in 2016
- Salaries for the Obamacare exchange 12 employees total more than $1.1 million in year one-with its top employee receiving over $807,618 (w/benefits over 3 yrs)
- Obamacare 12 employees will receive over $330,000 worth of “fringe benefits” this year and over $1 million over the three year budget
- The Obamacare board will spend up to $3 Million on “consultant costs” this year and plan to spend $7 Million over the three year budget
- In 2015, the Obamacare board will also spend over $35 million on “contractual costs” and $68 million next year ($10 million “Media” contracts over 3 yrs)
- In 2015, the Obamacare board will spend over $325,000 on “other” expenses plus $200,000 on a single “conference” to share its “mission”
- Members of the Obamacare board are appointed by pro-Obamacare members of the legislature and Governor Beebe for an average six year term
- The Obamacare board has the authority to apply for any taxpayer-funded grant that they choose to help them implement Obamacare in Arkansas
- In 2013, the Arkansas legislature gave the Obamacare exchange the ability to convert themselves to a state-based exchange by July 1, 2015, which will lead to even more costs for Arkansas taxpayers
- If the Supreme Court rules later this year that Obamacare subsidies can only flow through state exchanges, Arkansas’s decision to implement a state exchange will not only work to support Obamacare and work counter to this ruling but will result in millions of dollars in costs and penalties for Arkansans
- Only a proactive step by the legislature to reclaim authority from the Obamacare board can stop a state Obamacare exchange from coming to Arkansas
Arkansas legislators should act swiftly to stop the implementation of a state Obamacare exchange in Arkansas and save Arkansans from this disastrous law.
Source: https://static.ark.org/eeuploads/arhim/Level_Two_AHIM_Grant_Budget_Narrative.pdf
2013 Health Ins Market Place Exchange Act 1500
