Federal Affordable Care Act consultant Jonathan Gruber, who said voter "stupidity" was a key for the health law's passage, earned $340,000 helping Minnesota develop its health exchange.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology health economist worked with Minnesota officials in 2011 and 2012 on assessing options for the state's exchange, according to a state contract. The exchange, then in the planning stages, was launched last year as MNsure.
The Minnesota contract says the state hired Gruber to analyze Minnesota health insurance, health coverage and "model the effect of policy options available to policymakers under the ACA, related to exchanges."
Comments Gruber made at a 2013 conference about voters resurfaced this week, providing new heat to the battle against the federal health care overhaul. Gruber was a key adviser to President Obama for the 2010 federal law and had helped design the Massachusetts health exchange more than a decade ago under then-Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican. Gruber has consulted for several states since.
In a videotaped panel discussion last year, Gruber said that "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, really critical to getting the thing to pass." But, he added, "I'd rather have this law than not."
Gruber has since apologized for what he termed his off-the-cuff remarks. But he also was recorded repeating the claim that American voters are "stupid" in a recently resurfaced video.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he "vigorously" disagreed with Gruber's assessment that the health care law was less than transparent.
Minnesota Rep. Joe Hoppe, R-Chaska, said he knew Gruber had done work for Minnesota and said the comments that recently came to light were disappointing.
