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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsShow Me the Medicaid Money
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/28/show-me-the-medicaid-money.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Fpolitics+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Politics%29Politics
02.28.14
Michael Tomasky
Show Me the Medicaid Money
snip//
There are still a few more things the American people need to learn about the law, though, and its up to the Democrats to tell them, and Im going to bang on about this until I see some action. As I wrote Wednesday, Governor Rick Perry has said no to $9 billion in free money. Texas is the largest state in the union that hasnt accepted the Medicaid expansion money, so thats the biggest figure, but the figures are significant in relation to the population and budget in every single state.
These figures are from a Commonwealth Foundation report from three months ago. Florida is saying no to $9.6 billion, Georgia to $4.9 billion, North Carolina to $5.7 billion. Wisconsin is passing on $1.75 billion, Virginia on $2.15 billion, and Pennsylvania on $5.5 billion (although Pennsylvania is considering the opt-in). And this reports figure for Texas is actually $9.6 billion.
You know how states clamor for federal highway money? Well, as Commonwealth points out, in every one of these cases, the Medicaid money is moreat least double, typically, and sometimes far morethan what these states get in highway money. And yet they say they dont want it. They say that over time, theyre going to be on the hook for vast expenditures they cant afford, or they fret publicly that Washington might change the formula. Theyre both bogus arguments.
snip//
As for the argument that some GOP governors make that they fear Washington might change the formula...well, thats straight from Orwell or Kafka. That is: Barack Obama isnt going to change any formula. President Hillary Clinton wouldnt be changing any formula. A Democratically controlled Congress wont be changing any formulas. Only Republican presidents and congresses would do that. In other words, these Republican governors are sayingyeah, the deal looks fine now, but my party might take over, and then Id be really screwed!
The ACA is here to stay. Its not going to be struck down. Its not going to be repealed. That would require a Republican president and 60 GOP senators and a solid GOP House majority, and the odds are strongly against the emergence of such a confluence. Its going to exist. And inevitably, its going to grow. And more and more people are going to get used to it and learn to live with it. And over time, the people in states like Texas and Georgia and Wisconsin are going to see that people in nearby states that took the money are in fact pretty happy with their situations.
Its only a matter of time before these resistant governors and state legislatures start caving. Democrats have it in their power to help hasten that timetable by making this an issue. They have to have the courage not to wilt or get the vapors whenever a right-winger invokes the evil gummint or the hated Kenyan. Democrats say theyve waited decades for this moment. Well, its here. Nows not the time to run away from the fight.
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Show Me the Medicaid Money (Original Post)
babylonsister
Mar 2014
OP
Yeah, Ricktus Perry plans to pass the cost of that $9B to Texas taxpayers. nt
flamin lib
Mar 2014
#1
flamin lib
(14,559 posts)1. Yeah, Ricktus Perry plans to pass the cost of that $9B to Texas taxpayers. nt