Update at the bottom...

First Report, July 2, 2012: In light of Thursday, June 28th's Supreme Court ruling which upheld President Barack Obama's landmark Affordable Care Act, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has announced her plans on not expanding Medicaid or participate in any health exchanges.

Her stance is not surprising at all, Haley says via Facebook:

"South Carolina will NOT expand Medicaid, or participate in any health exchanges. We will not support Pres. Obama's tax increase or job killing agenda. I WILL do everything I can to get Mitt Romney elected and work to strengthen our Senate so that we can repeal this unAmerican policy aimed at moving our country in the wrong direction."

Haley joins other Republican Governors in her stance. Florida Governor, Rick Scott also stated that he, "will not implement two provisions of the U.S. healthcare law involving an expansion of Medicaid for the poor and creation of a private insurance exchange". S.C. and Florida joins Wisconsin and Louisiana in rejecting two provisions last week. 

What say you loyal Digitel readers? Should this decision solely be that of the Governor or should 'We The People" have a say? We do still have time for a vote on the matter since the reform won't fully kick in until 2014. 

For more background on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in South Carolina, check out an overview at The Herald.

Update, November 16, 2012: Despite the outcome of this past presidential election, Governor Nikki Haley is sticking to her stance on the Affordable Care Act. 

In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (below), Haley expressed that South Carolina will not be participating in the health care exchange program. The program, which is designed to act as a one-stop shop of private health care plans. The Sun News reports that the exchange program are designed to, "help households and small businesses find an affordable private health plan. The 2010 health reform law requires residents to have insurance by 2014 or face penalties."

But that does not mean that we South Carolinians won't be able to participate in the exchange or the Affordable Exchange Act, simply, if a state ops-out of the health care exchange program then the exchanges will be run by Washington D.C. -a bit of irony considering Haley is a proponent of states rights and giving power back to the state(s).

However, a backer of the law says it's good to take that power away from states and people who fought against it. 

Read the whole story over at The Sun News