Gov. Gregoire joins other governors to announce next step in federal lawsuit against health care reform

For Immediate Release: June 23, 2010

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today, along with Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Gov. Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania and Gov. Bill Ritter of Colorado announced they have filed a joint motion to enter a federal lawsuit and present information about the benefits and opportunities provided to their states by the landmark health care reform legislation recently signed by President Obama.

�I�ve said from the beginning � the action of the Attorney General in filing this lawsuit does not represent the Governor, the Insurance Commissioner, legislative leadership, or thousands of Washingtonians in our state that would benefit from national health care reform,� Gregoire said. �We need to move forward. This legislation not only provides necessary care to millions of Americans who desperately need it � it protects our tax payers from the skyrocketing costs of health care.�

�The individual mandate is an issue of personal responsibility,� said Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. �It prevents people from shifting the cost of their medical care onto others. It�s a cornerstone for making the new reforms work.�

Minutes after the President signed the health care reform package into law on March 23, 13 attorneys general, including those from Washington, Colorado, Michigan and Pennsylvania, filed a joint lawsuit in Pensacola, Florida � claiming the legislation violates the constitution.

The motion filed today is the first step in entering the case, and asks the court to allow a �friend of the court� brief to be filed by governors who actually administer state health care programs and are familiar with the way the federal law helps their states meet the needs of governments, residents and businesses in their states.

�The position of the Attorneys General does not represent the interests of small businesses and individuals who seek affordable health care options, individuals with preexisting conditions who need health care insurance, or all the people who find their taxes and insurance premiums raised to bear the costs of the uninsured� said Gregoire. �We are seeking to give voice to these beneficiaries of the health reform law.�

The governors will argue that the court should reject the attorney generals� request that implementation of the health care reform law be prevented from moving forward. The governors will be able to inform the Court about the need for and the benefits of federal reform.

They will argue that the attorney generals� assertions that the federal law violates states rights are unfounded.

Attorneys in Seattle and Florida have agreed to represent the governors at no cost. The attorneys include Rebecca Roe, Adam Berger, William Rutzick and Kristin Houser of the Seattle firm Schroeter, Goldmark & Bender. They will work with Guy M. Burns of the firm Johnson, Pope, Bokor, Ruppel & Burns in Tampa, Florida.

The governors worked to ensure the federal health reform law met the needs of the states, and will point to numerous benefits to the states from the federal-state partnership including:

� Health insurance coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, which experience shows can only be sustained if individuals are discouraged from waiting until they become sick or injured to obtain health insurance.
� Federal funding for programs that are now wholly state-funded or have waiting lists because of lack of funds, such as Washington�s Basic Health Plan that provides subsidized health insurance for low-income individuals.
� Significant reductions in the �hidden tax� on the medical and insurance costs of those who pay their bills when the uninsured do not pay for health care they receive
� Measures to control the skyrocketing costs of health insurance, which will help the economies of their states.

Other benefits of the Act include:
� Affordable health insurance for middle class families and small businesses through tax incentives and credits;
� Peace of mind for citizens, who will know if they lose their job, change jobs or start a business, they will be able to purchase quality, affordable care in a new competitive health care market;
� Coverage for those with pre-existing conditions who are often denied the health care insurance they so desperately need;
� Coverage for young adults up to age 26 who rely on their parents� health care policies; and
� Tough consumer protections to rein in the worst abuses of the insurance industry.