In TW’s print edition this week, I examined the upcoming policy fight over whether Arizona should expand its AHCCCS (or Medicaid) rolls. It would bring a lot of federal dollars to the state and ensure that more low-income Arizonans have health insurance, but some Republicans are complaining about the price tag and others just don’t like the Affordable Care Act.
Arizona is not alone in trying to decide whether to expand health-care insurance for the poor. Talking Points Memo today looks at how Republican governors in various swing states are wrestling with the question:
Rejecting the Medicaid expansion, as many fellow Republican governors from red states have done, would endear them to the conservative base, which detests the Affordable Care Act.
But that would deny a huge benefit to their constituents, whose states all voted for President Obama twice. The provision would enhance Medicaid eligibility to their residents up to 133 percent of the poverty line. The federal government would cover the full cost of the new beneficiaries in the early years and 90 percent after 2020.
Internal party politics aside, it’s an enticing deal for governors, and consumer advocates are reminding them of the thousands of their constituents it would help. And what makes their decisions harder is that they cannot split the difference: the Obama administration announced last month that it would not cover partial expansions.
This article appears in Jan 10-16, 2013.
And for the feds to pay this tab, they need to borrow money from China. Good luck to future generations, you will be on your own and paying the piper for our indulgences!
Since extension of Medicaid — AHCCCS in Arizona — to those with incomes up to 133% of the official poverty level would assure access to health care for more uninsured Americans, would greatly reduce the resort to emergency rooms as primary care providers and would enhance the economies of the states, shouldn’t acceptance of the proposal be the obvious choice for every governor? Having assured that Barack Obama will be a two-term president, can’t Republicans go along with a plan that will benefit their states’ budgets and the lives and health of their constituents? If not, why not?
I’ve been considering the idea of whether Republicans like ideas more than people. They might say they’re principled, but principles suck if they don’t work for the betterment of people. I guess I’ll know if I’m right if the extension is rejected. Here’s hoping I’m wrong!
In case you missed it today…
U.S. Health (Care) Worse Than Nearly All Other Industrialized Countries…
http://www.nationofchange.org/us-health-wo…
And for sure it’s the most expensive — by double the amount than the next, more healthy country…
And it’s all because USAmericans insist on continuing to tinker with the failed for-profit corporate sick care system that the civilized world abandoned decades ago…
As for Arizona, I believe that we’re the only state that passed a tax cut for corporations and the rich and immediately “paid for it” by forcing hundreds of thousands of people off of the AHCCCS program — KILLING MANY OF THEM…
It’s a basic Arizona republican “value”… let the many die so the very, very few can get richer…
So allowing more thousands to die from lack of health care is just the icing on the bat-crap crazy Arizona cake…
i’ve worked my whole life, often two jobs. i was disabled two years ago. because i’m single with no children i couldnt get medicaid, have to wait two plus years for medicare, and can’t afford insurance. i look at the reckless, pointless spending, and all the people that can recieve medicaid, and this state in which i was born and raised makes me ashamed of it. future generations are now folks, dont have to wait.
AZ Rs continue to believe that the poor should be punished. Their constituency is the rich and fearful, not the poor and hopeful. And they win elections. And AZ continues its slide to the bottom…What is a poor man to do?
To promote the health care and Medicare service many health care organization and health ministry offers various beneficial programs towards the well being of the peoples. As we well known with issue that health care services are found in a horrible condition especially in the United States of America therefore health care organization are trying to repair the current position of health care system.
http://urgentcarenow.com/directory/az