Douglas Says NGA Meeting To Focus On Health Care

Print More

(Host) Governor Jim Douglas will preside over next month’s summer meetings of the National Governors Association in Boston.

Douglas toured facilities this week that will host the governors. He says a lot of the sessions will deal with health care, including the overhaul bill enacted by Congress and the president.

Douglas recognizes that a lot of his colleagues are opposed to the federal law. But he says the NGA is trying to make sure states are ready to implement the law as it goes into effect.

(Douglas) "There are obviously differences of opinion among governors as to whether the national reform effort is a good idea.But I think as an association we have a responsibility to provide the infrastructure for states to successfully implement the new law. So, this is happening. It’s the law of the land. We’ve got to prepare for it."

(Host) Vermont and Massachusetts both overhauled their health care systems well before the national law was adopted.

But Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick says the two states still have to do a lot of work to stay abreast of rapid changes in the field.

(Patrick) "There is a learning here in order to perfect this. And I believe that one of the lessons that we can offer from Massachusetts and Vermont can offer and has is this idea that we have to continue to work at it and make adjustments to perfect it as we go along and that we can."

(Host) The governors are also scheduled to discuss the pressures they face in their state budgets as a result of the national recession.

They’ll hear a presentation from the special commission that President Obama appointed to help recommend ways to control the federal deficit.

And Douglas says it’s likely that the ongoing controversy over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will be a topic of discussion.The NGA meets in Boston July ninth through the 11th.

Comments are closed.