Republicans Block South Dakotans From Voting On Medicaid Expansion

[highplainsdem]

Source: Talking Points Memo

A South Dakota legislative committee blocked a measure Monday that would have allowed the state's voters to decide in November if they wanted to expand Medicaid under Obamacare.

The Associated Press reported that the resolution was defeated along party lines, with seven Republicans voting against it and two Democrats supporting it in the State Affairs Committee. The Republicans said that allowing voters to make a decision that should be left to the legislature would set a bad precedent.

A January poll found that 63 percent of South Dakotans supported expanding Medicaid under the health care reform law. The expansion would cover close to 50,000 low-income residents in the state.

-snip-

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/south-dakota-medicaid-expansion-ballot-initiative

[sakabatou]

1. Geeze

[yeoman6987]

2. Why?

Do you think that the states not expanding Medicaid are looking towards three years from now when the federal subsidies stop? That could be the only reason that they wouldn't expand it. It will cost the states a fortune in the future but for now it is practically nothing.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. That is not a correct statement. The federal subsidies will not end in three years.

They will be reduced slightly over time to 90%.

"Specifically, the federal government will, for the first three years (2014-2016), assume 100 percent of the costs of covering those made newly eligible by the health reform law. Federal support will then phase down slightly over the following several years (95 percent in 2017, 94 percent in 2018, and 93 percent in 2019). By 2020 and for all subsequent years, the federal government will pay 90 percent of the costs of covering these individuals."

and:

"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the Medicaid expansion will add very little to what states would have spent on Medicaid without health reform, while providing health coverage to 17 million more low-income adults and children. In addition, the Medicaid expansion will reduce state and local government costs for uncompensated care and other services they provide to the uninsured, which will offset at least some — and in a number of states, possibly all or more than all — of the modest increase in state Medicaid costs. Expanding Medicaid is thus a very favorable financial deal for states."

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=3801

The GOPers' opposition to Medicaid expansion in their states is strictly ideological: They don't want poor people to get help because they think poor people don't deserve help, because they're poor.

[Igel]

24. Some is ideological.

Some is ill-will.

Some is simple distrust.

It's easy to cite projections. They're not real. They're projections. Same for promises.

Take the Medicare reduction that the CBO includes in its budget projection every year. It was supposed to have occurred a decade ago, as part of a budget deal--"You agree to this, I'll agree to that." But because it was unpopular to do so, the reduction is revoked every year. In other words, the law is overriden annually. The deal it was part of is forgotten, but the law and ignoring the law soldiers on.

Or take mandated special education funding. Every year Congress is supposed to fully fund certain mandated programs. It has never done so. In some years it's doing good to fund 50% of what is obligated itself to fund. In this case school dsitricts and states cough up the billions of dollars. Because they pay for the SpEd services that Congress required, they have less money for other things. In this case, it's easy expediency: If Congress actually paid that money out it would have bigger deficits or less money for things that more people care about.

The list goes on. Unfunded research promises, unfunded clean-ups, unfunded programs for this and that. All promises made, and all included in some projected funding and projected expenses.

This isn't an ACA issue. It's not a (D) versus (R) issue, by and large. It's a Congress issue.

[SoapBox]

3. Pukers sure have a lot of "brass".

We know what's best for you little children.

[liberalhistorian]

10. Living in this state, I can say that

what's especially frustrating about that is that they are constantly bashing the federal government, we don't need no stinkin gubmint to tell us what to do, we have the freedom to decide that ourselves, the people can rule themselves, yadayada blahblah. But not only do we rely heavily on said eeeevil gubmint (we take in more federal dollars than we send in), but it appears that such a "let the people decide, we can rule ourselves" attitude does NOT apply in cases where THEY want things to go a particular way and in THEIR "rule." Bleh.

[prairierose]

19. Liberalhistorian, yes, you are correct. But like so many places...

the legislature does not really reflect the beliefs of the people. However, since the dem party is so close to dead in this state, thanks to the DLC. there are many legislative districts where there is no choice for the people to vote for anyone but a repub.

Hi again....

[newfie11]

4. This doesn't surprise me

What I can't figure out is why, what appears to be normal people, keep voting these idiots in.
This will all be blamed on Obama of course, not the pugs.

[Swede Atlanta]

7. Please Sir or Madam, do not insult my "pugs"...

You may refer to them as pigs but not pugs. My pugs are bluer than blue!!!!

Thanks.

[newfie11]

21. Omg I am so sorry for disparaging their breed. Please tell your Pugs I will never do it again.

Pigs pigs pigs is what I will say!

[The Wizard]

5. tyranny (NT)

[liberalhistorian]

8. I live in this

uber-repub state and the pubs' continue to be infuriating. The legislature is only in session from mid-Jan. to mid-March (thank God or who knows what kind of further damage they'd do to this state?) This particular legislature has been especially bad, even a lot of repubs in the state say that and are grumbling. But they STILL continue to vote for repubs no matter what, no matter how pissed off they get at the party and their stranglehold rule. It's beyond frustrating. But the state Dem party doesn't help, it continue to be clueless and reactive, instead of proactive, and is delusional in a lot of ways, not to mention disorganized. I've tried for days to find out how I could work on the campaign of the woman who's challenging our sole teabagger congress critter (who beat out the Dem woman by just one percentage or so in 2010), with no response from anyone whatsoever. Frustrating.

Even the medical and hospital industry, to which they usually kowtow to, as well as the majority of the state's business community, to which they also always kowtow to, has been practically begging them to expand Medicaid under the ACA and they still refuse to even listen. Both of those industries have tried to get through to the legislature that the state's economy relies heavily on Medicaid, including the medical and long-term care industries, which are increasing in this predominantly aged state.

They're also trying to screw over the ACA navigators in the state, trying to pass a law that only licensed insurance agents can enroll people in the ACA; which is utter horseshit in this mostly rural state and especially here on the state's nine reservations (we live on one). Insurance agents aren't going to come into remote rural areas or on reservations, for the most part, and most of them are conservative assholes pushing an agenda. And I will never understand the older people in the state who vote straight repub, but who rely heavily on Medicaid, for both long-term and regular care.

Even for many repubs, this legislative session can't end soon enough.

[progressoid]

17. I travel there frequently.

I feel for you. I grew up in an area of NW Iowa that has similar political leanings. It's frustrating to say the least.

I just heard an ironic story about a retired Republican couple up there. He's a long time RWer and regularly bitches about "big government". His wife was recently hospitalized for a serious problem (in Sioux Falls). She recovering now.
Then he sees the bills for her lengthy care - nearly 800K. He said, "but its OK because Medicare is covering it." To which my Mom said, "Oh, you mean you approve of socialized medicine now?" Crickets...

But he'll keep voting for the GOP and watching Fox news.

[oldandhappy]

9. So much for democracy

They do not want the 'we the people' to decide. Vote Vote Vote Get these manipulators and controllers out of the way!! Letting the voters make a decision is a bad precedent. Gag.

[Fred Sanders]

11. "Letting the people decide" political issues CAN be very, very bad; what if they allowed

the people in a State to ban abortion in all cases, to arm all teachers, etc. etc..

Most votes should take place on regular election day.

[lostincalifornia]

14. Where are you coming from? The legislatures have NOT been doing their jobs, which is why state have

the initiative process.

and while the argument used that we are a "representative" government sounds good, in a lot of cases, especially today that has failed miserably, especially since corporation have become people.

This at least gives people a chance

As far as your argument about banning abortion, that is Federal law, in case you are NOT aware, and the states cannot over-rule federal law

[EC]

12. Yet everytime they speak

they say their constituents don't want Obamacare? What? Of course they're lying...they're opening their mouths and speaking...

[lostincalifornia]

13. The state of George McGovern should be ashamed to have these representatives in their legislature

[valerief]

15. Well, at least South Dakotans will never know about this, since real news is never reported. nt

[newfie11]

23. So very true. Nt

[Old Codger]

16. ALL pols in general

An specifically the rethuglicans pay lip service to the electorate only when an election is close, otherwise we are only taking up space, wasting resources and getting in the way of their plans to take all choices away from us...

[tanyev]

18. Republicans only like democracy when they can control it.

[Comrade Grumpy]

20. As a registered South Dakota voter, I can say my peers are dumb as rocks.

They keep voting for these asshole Republicans.

[Cali_Democrat]

22. Evil to the core. nt

[tabasco]

25. PROOF that republicans hate democracy

and despise the American People.