Go Obamacare!
Ohio GOP Gov. Kasich backs Obama's Medicaid expansion
- Small government "Conservatism" died decades ago. Today "Conservative" GOP Governor after "Conservative" GOP Governor is lining up to fill their pockets with free Obamacare money.
Comrade Obama is a political genius.
Obama knew that the Republican Party's opposition to Big Government Socialism was a phony smoke screen to keep the voters back home happy. After all the GOP Congress had eagerly voted under Bush to vastly expand Medicare and spend money like drunken sailors.
So Obama dangled billions in "free" Federal money in front for Republican Governors and they spread the legs faster than a two dollar whore in Vegas.
So on Monday Ohio’s "Conservative" Republican Governor said he will push for expanding Medicaid under the Federal Obamacare law in order to get his hands on millions of Federal dollars.
So much for small government. Political principal lasted for about 45 seconds.
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| Go Obamacare GOP's Kasich says, "give me that sweet, sweet free Federal money." |
The state anticipates more than 365,000 Ohioans will be eligible for coverage beginning in 2014 by expanding Medicaid, the health program for the poor that already provides care for one of every five residents in the state.
A broad group of Ohio’s doctors, hospitals and health providers backs the idea reports the Washington Times.
Kasich joins fellow Republican Governors Jan Brewer, Brian Sandoval and Susana Martinez in calling for Medicaid expansion.
Several other GOP governors have said they will not go forward, including Gov. Rick Perry in Texas, Bobby Jindal in Louisiana and Nikki Haley in South Carolina.
The District of Columbia and 17 states have opted to expand their Medicaid rolls.
Gov. John Kasich, who last summer called the federal health overhaul a “massive new tax on the middle class,” proposed the Medicaid expansion in his two-year budget plan released Monday. He now must persuade Republican state lawmakers to back the plan despite the fact that many dislike the law’s mandated coverage and campaigned against it just a few months ago.
Kasich reiterated his opposition to what he called “Obamacare,” saying, “I don’t believe in the individual mandate.”
“But I think that this makes great sense for the state of Ohio,” he said.
If Ohio doesn’t extend Medicaid, his administration said, federal tax dollars will be used to expand health coverage in other states and give businesses elsewhere a competitive advantage by creating a healthier workforce.
The leader of the Ohio House has said his fellow Republicans have concerns about the expense of expanding Medicaid. House Speaker William Batchelder told reporters the idea also poses philosophical questions for lawmakers who oppose the law’s mandate that almost everyone obtain health insurance.
The federal government will pay the entire cost of the Medicaid expansion for the first three years, gradually phasing down to 90 percent of the cost after that. Even at those generous rates, however, some GOP governors and state legislatures say they fear being stuck with long-term costs.
Ohio will see an influx of $2.4 billion in federal funds during the next two years beginning in July to cover those who are newly eligible, the administration said.
Separate changes to eligibility for Medicaid will mean that almost 91,000 who are covered by Medicaid will be dropped from the program.
The state also expects to net $235 million because of a boost in tax revenue, plus additional savings from proposed Medicaid eligibility changes and savings on medical care for prisoners.
Kasich‘s proposal also calls for an automatic “opt-out” trigger. Under his plan, if the federal government doesn’t pick up its share of expanded coverage, the program for newly eligible would shut down and Ohio taxpayers wouldn’t be stuck with the bill.
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