Michigan Paid To Be Conned

Apparently, the state of Michigan paid the Obamacare architect more than $480,000 to con us stupid Americans.

Jonathan Gruber, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology economics professor who created the econometric model to project health care spending and costs under different assumptions, was given a $481,050 contract by the state of Michigan, according to the Washington Post. The Washington Post reported that he was paid that to assist setting up the state health-insurance exchange under the federal Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

To put salt in the wound, Gruber was paid the $481,050 even though the Michigan Legislature did not authorize creating a state-level exchange. In 2012, the Senate approved legislation authorizing one, but the House declined, with the result that Michigan currently has an exchange run by the federal government.

As you may already know, Gruber made comments such as this reported in USA Today, "If you have a law that makes explicit that healthy people pay in and sick people get money, it wouldn't have passed. Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage and, basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever. But basically that was really critical to getting the thing to pass."

Representative Elect Gary Glenn, R-Midland said Saturday he will formally request Monday that the state House of Representatives Research Services Division investigate why Michigan’s payment was more than what Wisconsin ($400,000), Vermont ($400,000) and Minnesota ($329,000) paid.

Glenn will request that State Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee, and State Rep. Matt Lori, R-Constantine, chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee, investigate the state’s deal with Gruber.

Rep. McMillin said he’d ask the Department of Community Health how Gruber was selected and what services he provided for the money.

“Mr. Gruber appears to be a very devious man – perhaps with a proclivity for fraud,” Rep. McMillin said in an email to CAPCON Michigan Capitol Confidential. “Based on the info I receive, I’ll decide if a hearing is warranted.”

Should we attempt to get our money back?

Call me Tuesday on the Live with Renk show, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon, to let me know your thoughts at 269-441-9595.