Georgia Regulator Blasts Rocky Health Care Rollout, Federal Website Glitches

Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens criticized the rocky rollout of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul in a recent interview with a local TV news station.

Commissioner Hudgens, a Republican and a staunch opponent of the federal health care overhaul, told ABC-affiliate WSB-TV in Atlanta last week that he would tell Georgia residents who want to sign up on HealthCare.gov to wait until the online glitches are resolved, especially if the March 31 open enrollment deadline gets extended. Georgia is one of more than 30 states that opted not to create their own health care exchanges.

“Don’t frustrate yourself waiting for a long time and then all of a sudden being booted off after you’ve been holding the phone or waiting online. Just wait until December until you start hearing that the website is actually working,” Commissioner Hudgens said in the WSB-TV interview.

Commissioner Hudgens also reiterated his opposition to the federal health care reform. “I have not been an Obamacare fan from day one, and I have not changed my mind. I think it’s going to raise the prices. We’ve seen that in the products that have been priced on the exchange. It’s going to raise prices and it’s going to limit coverage,” Hudgens said in the WSB-TV interview. “Obamacare is not ready for prime time,” Hudgens said.