How One Governor Is Trying To Avoid Responsibility For Denying Health Care To 600,000 Poor People
By Sy Mukherjee
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) has the power to follow several other GOP governors’ lead and negotiate an alternative to the Affordable Care Act’s optional Medicaid expansion — a provision that would extend basic health benefits to more than 600,000 of the poorest Georgians — with the Obama administration. Instead, Deal’s administration is pushing a GOP-sponsored state bill that would take the matter out of the executive branch’s hands and require lawmakers to give legislative approval to any Medicaid expansion plan.
Deal has always been open about his support for the proposed bill, HB 990. But emails obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution under Georgia’s Open Records Act show that Deal’s staff actually helped write and even strengthen the legislation.
The administration is defending its position by arguing that legislators should have a say when it comes to such an important provision. “It is an issue that has huge economic impacts and would seriously affect any budget that the General Assembly would come up with,” said Deal in a press conference last week. “And I think on that basis since they are responsible for passing a budget and yet have no say so under the current process about something that could tremendously impact what a budget might look like, I think it’s altogether appropriate.”
But critics say it amounts to shirking a controversial issue and stymieing future administrations that may want to negotiate with the Obama White House. Since the federal government will supply 100 percent of the funding for the first three years of Medicaid expansion, Georgia’s state Medicaid budget will be largely unaffected by embracing the expansion for the next several years.
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http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/02/24/3322621/nathan-deal-medicaid-expansion/
Awesome New GOP Strategy: Shut Down State Govts Over Obamacare
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024557719
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[font size="3"]1. Arkansas Republican Admits GOP Is Acting As A DEATH PANEL![/font]
John Prager
February 19, 2014
Arkansas State Rep. Nate Bell (R) made a startling admission during a debate over Medicaid expansion on Tuesday: he doesn’t think that uninsured Americans should be educated about their health care options because it costs too much to insure them.
Bell, as a true representative of the “pro-birth, pro-death” party, offered up an amendment to the state’s proposed Medicaid expansion bill that would prevent Arkansas from using federal funds to promote the Affordable Care Act. The amendment would bar Arkansas from advertising on television, radio, print, or online, and would put a halt to Arkansas’ direct mail campaigns–a critical part of spreading the word about the Medicaid expansion.
Bell admits that “without active marketing, you probably get declining enrollment.” However, that’s not a problem to him–in fact, that’s exactly what he wants to accomplish. As Bell explains, “We’re trying to create a barrier to enrollment. In general, as a conservative, if I have the opportunity to reduce government spending in a program from what’s projected… I’m probably going to take that deal.”
You read that correctly, folks–Bell wants to prevent information from circulating in an effort to prevent the uninsured from obtaining insurance because it saves money. It’s almost like he is proposing that lawmakers ration healthcare to those who they deem to be more deserving, kind of like a panel. A panel that decides who lives and who dies.
Where have we heard that before?
http://aattp.org/arkansas-republican-admits-gop-is-acting-as-a-death-panel/
[font size="3"]2. Yet Another Georgia Hospital Closes its Doors Due to State’s Refusal of Medicaid Expansion[/font]
February 19, 2014
Thanks to Georgia’s petulant refusal to expand their Medicaid programs, yet another rural hospital will be closing it’s doors. That brings Georgia up to four closed hospitals in just two years, as reported by the Albany Herald, and the number is ever-increasing. Many hospitals that serve mostly poor and uninsured patients are closing up shop simply due to their states refusal of the ACA Medicaid expansion.
The Lower Oconee Community Hospital, a 25 bed “critical access” facility in southeastern Georgia, will shut down and potentially re-open as an urgent care center that will provide watered-down services that don’t justify a trip to the emergency room. Wheeler County residents will now need to travel up to thirty miles to receive more extensive treatments. Pretty sad considering one in four people in Wheeler County is uninsured. Not to mention one in ten residents are unemployed and over 40 percent of their children live in poverty. But if those children don’t want to live in poverty, they should just tell their parents to get a better job, right? Because clearly that’s the solution.
Last fall, Bloomberg reported that at least five public hospitals, three in Georgia alone, were cutting staff and reducing services due to their refusal to expand the state’s Medicaid program. These hospitals are referred to as “Disproportionate Share Hospitals” because they serve a disproportionate number of poor and uninsured residents. Because of this, these facilities don’t always receive payments for the care they administer.
Approximately five million working poor Americans living in states refusing President Obama’s Medicaid expansion will fall into a coverage gap where they make too much money to qualify for existing state Medicaid programs, but too little money to qualify for the insurance subsidies of the Affordable Care Act. And, surprise-surprise, 500,000 Americans in this coverage gap are Georgia residents. Way to go, Georgia.
http://aattp.org/yet-another-georgia-hospital-closes-its-doors-due-to-states-refusal-of-medicaid-expansion/
[font size="3"]3. Teapublicans force hospitals to close and cause infants to die, because they hate Obama[/font]
February 18, 2014
Deny it all you want, but that is what’s happening. In Red states that have refused to take free Federal money for Medicaid expansion, hospitals are closing and babies are dying. Each and every state that is refusing Medicaid Expansion is run by Teabagging “Republicans” who hates them some Obama. Click the links if you don’t believe it. So it’s clear: these slimy creeps are willing to see you and your kids die, so just so they can go “nanny-nanny-boo-boo” to the President of the United States.
You have to wonder why an allegedly “pro-life” party would deliberately ensure the deaths of thousands of people, including infants. One also wonders why a party that loves state-level governance is passing on billions of dollars in free money. The reason is plain and simple: they hate our President and anything that has his name anywhere near it.
Today as this is being written, hospitals are preparing to close. People whose lives could have been saved are dying. And it is for petty political payback, by a bunch of vindictive “Republicans” who are willing to see innocent blood shed in order to inflict harm on our President. That’s a lot of blood on the paws of those scumbag Red politicians.
And if you vote “Republican”, Gentle Reader, there is blood on your hands, too. If you don’t love dead babies, then don’t vote for Repubs. If you don’t like dead senior citizens, don’t vote for Repubs.
read more: http://bluntandcranky.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/teapublicans-force-hospitals-to-close-and-cause-infants-to-die-because-they-hate-obama/
[font size="3"]4. 17,000 People Will Die Uninsured in Red States Because GOP Leaders Refused Medicaid Expansion[/font]
Simone Sanner
February 6, 2014
Dr. Steffie Woolhandler is co-author of the new study Opting Out Of Medicaid Expansion: the Health And Financial Impacts. The new study just released has found up to 17,000 people will die as a result of the refusal of red state governors to participate in expanded Medicaid programs.
There are 8 million people who will not receive coverage under the new law that are eligible for it. Of that 8 million, as many as 17,000 people will die having not gotten the medical care those in blue states have access to. Another 750,000 will suffer from untreated depression, diabetics will not have access to medication, and women will not have access to pap smears and mammograms.
Woolhandler attributes this to a political move on the part of red state governors, as the program is 100% completely funded by the federal government for the first three years. After those three years have passed, 90% of the costs will be funded by the federal government.
States making the investment in their people will see an approximate 50% reduction in the number of people without any health insurance whatsoever.
read more: http://aattp.org/17000-people-will-die-uninsured-in-red-states-because-gop-leaders-refused-medicaid-expansion/
