About two months ago, Nevada's Republican governor, Brian Sandoval, did something no other Republican governor in the country had done: he endorsed President Obama's Medicaid expansion plan. While clearly the right move on policy grounds, Sandoval's decision was a political surprise -- conservative groups have made it abundantly clear to GOP governors that activists on the right consider this policy an outrageous betrayal of conservative principles that would not be tolerated.
It took a month for Sandoval to get some company, but New Mexico's Republican governor, Susana Martinez, ended up endorsing Medicaid expansion, too. A few days later, so did North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R). Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) grudgingly reached the same conclusion, as did Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R).
This week, Michigan's Rick Snyder became the sixth Republican in the club.
A day before he delivers his budget message to the state Legislature, Gov. Rick Snyder gave his unconditional support for an expansion of Medicaid to include about 450,000 more uninsured, low-income Michiganders into the program.
"We're all here to support expanding Medicaid," Snyder said at a news conference called by a coalition of groups that support the expansion. "This is very exciting today. We're moving forward with care for people who need it."
The expansion will allow roughly 470,000 more uninsured low-income Michiganders to be covered by Medicaid.
This probably isn't a coincidence. Once some Republican governors took the plunge, it apparently led some of their GOP counterparts in other states to notice the water was fine. And just like that, a policy that Republican chief executives were supposed to avoid like the plague -- a policy that implements the dreaded "Obamacare" -- is no longer GOP anathema.
"The logjam has broken," Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said. Bill Pierce, a former Health and Human Services official under George W. Bush, added, "It's a tipping point. You've now got a real conservative state, a battleground state and a blue state all signed up. If you're a Republican governor thinking about this, you fit into one of those categories."
However, for those who want to see more American be able to afford basic medical care, the news is not all good.
As Joan McCarter explained this week, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R), for reasons that defy comprehension, rejected Medicaid expansion in his state.
The Medicaid expansion would have provided coverage to 542,000 additional people in the state over the next decade, according to analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation. That would have cost the state $2.8 billion over a decade, with the federal government kicking in $37.8 billion to the state. More than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians are uninsured, nearly 13 percent of the state's non-elderly population.
Between Corbett's voter suppression and vote rigging schemes and his hard-right, destructive course on Obamacare, this blue state Republican might be making 2014 a bit of a challenge for himself. Here's something for Pennsylvania Democrats to consider: this decision is not irrevocable. States can decide to participate in the expansion at any point, though after 2016 the federal government won't pick up 100 percent of the tab.
Making matters worse, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) also made the wrong call.
Gov. Mike Pence said Wednesday that he has ruled out expanding Medicaid under the federal health care law unless Indiana gets approval to use state health savings accounts for the expansion. [...]
"It was important to me that we do fully fund Medicaid, but we did not fund a Medicaid expansion, nor do I think that under the current framework for Medicaid that it would be advisable for Indiana to do that," he said.
It's worth noting that the Indiana fight may not be completely over just yet. State legislators are still eyeing expansion, and some Republican lawmakers appear open to moving forward with legislation. State Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane (D) emphasized Medicaid expansion in neighboring states, arguing, "I don’t think we ought to be known as the island of the uninsured."
While we wait to see what happens, it's still something of a relief to see a growing number of Republican governors do the right thing on this. To reiterate a point from the other day, the way the Affordable Care Act is structured, Medicaid expansion is a great deal for states, and should be a no-brainer for governors who care about lowering health care costs, insuring low-income families, improving state finances, and helping state hospitals.
The only reasons Republican governors would balk is if (a) they're afraid of their party's base; (b) they plan to run for president and don't want this to be used against them in a primary; or (c) they're bad at math; or (d) some combination therein.
As a practical matter, it's become something of a test: how many GOP governors value arithmetic over ideology? As of today, the number is six. Here's hoping it continues to grow.
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Conservative principles = potentially losing everything because you have the bad taste to become sick?
To argue this point would be taking the position of having to convince others that this has happened, that productive members of society who have done everything right have filed bankruptcy due to health costs.
Funny thing is the red states are the states that have more poor people that need access to this. Really sad thing is many of those tea-baggers are the very one's that a) are on Medicare or b) poor enough that they don't realize they're preaching against their own best interests....
SMH!!
An inconvenient truth: Unlike gerrymandered congressional districts, in governor's races EVERYBODY gets to vote.
And that is why both Democrats and Republicans often bow to the "will of the people" .(Here in PA Gov. Corbett is about to find that out!)
Corbett has also been trying to prevent the ACA (Obamacare) in PA and does not want to take the Medicaid extension offered by president Obama. This is a terrible and costly decision taken by this T-Party governor. It is free for the 1st three years, and still Corbett refuses. (He hates entitlements). Call and protest: Protest his gerrymandering idea as well.
In Harrisburg: His office: 717-787-2500 Speak up. I did, and it wasn't pretty.
Corbett needs to go.
Don't leave us hanging! What "wasn't pretty" when you phoned Corbett's office?
LOL, I ranted about how wrong it was, how immoral, how adversely it would affect the state, how much I disliked him and how I plan on getting everyone I know to vote his a#$ out in 2014. His secretary did not thank me for calling. She was miffed.
When I am angry, I pull no punches. I don't care who I am talking to. I have a daughter-in-law who has a rare and costly illness, she worked hard all her young life and is now forced onto disability and Medicaid. She would die without her expensive prescriptions. With them, she is mostly pain free and functional to some degree.
You're right, Day . . . which explains why Rick Scott is down here in Florida pushing for things like state worker pay raises and more funding for education -- things he will promptly forget about or reverse if reelected.
With all this duly noted, and Governor Corbett's incredibly low approval ratings, why have NO prominent Democrats signaled a willingness to run against him? I raised the same question to the state party yesterday and the response was <crickets>. It's bad enough that my blood red county doesn't even bother putting up token opposition for county wide offices, but at the state level? Really? If anyone has heard differently please post.
Within 5 years all of the states will sign on to expanded medicaid. The sad thing is the early adopters get three years of 100% payments from the Feds. Republican ideologues are costing their states billions. One of the more interesting aspects of this is DSH payments (the money that goes to local emergency rooms to cover the uninsured) are going to be sucked up into medicare expansion. States that don't sign on are going to see rural hospitals shut down. Lots and lots of Tea Party faithful are going to be sacrificed on the alter of Republican ideology. If the Democratic party was smart and energetic they would be making hay with this issue in lots and lots of deep red states.
And they're going to blame it on Obama and the other "elitist liberals."
DC #3.1
As long as they go, they can blame my cat for all I care. JUST GO!
They will blame Obamacare if they are allowed. It is up to Democrats to get the word out. Now, what the hell is the Democratic party going to do to take the message to the deep red states. Is the party going to sit on its ass or is it going to raise a little hell. This is a perfect project for the Obama campaign team, whatever they are calling themselves these days.
Not that I disagree with you, India, but they won't go. They'll just, as usual, whine and complain bitterly. They will eventually become totally irrelevant, however, and it can't be soon enough for me.
One thing being overlooked with this is the number of jobs that will be created with the medicaid expansion. This, more than anything, is why Jan Brewer, Arizona, wants the expanison, IMHO. With hundreds of thousands more individuals having access to health care, who could possibly think this wouldn't reqire addional staffing? And it's not all drs. and nurses either. There will be a need for more clerical staff, more lab people--- heck, even more janitors. It truly is a no-brainer.
What is the most mystifying about right wing objections to Obamacare generally and an expansion of Medicaid specifically is that both programs reduce a state's cost of providing health care - not just to poor kids but to anyone who lacks health insurance. The CBO has demonstrated this repeatedly, during the original debate and since, as well as other non-partisan organizations such as the Kaiser Foundation.
For a political movement allegedly so concerned about what government spends money on, and how much, it is unfathomable to me that Republicans are against something that both saves the government money and actually is a benefit to people.
Oh, wait. I may have solved my own befuddlement: "... actually is a benefit to people" is an anathema to the right wing in America. Sorry.
#4 Please protest PA governor Tom Corbett's refusal to take Obamacare in PA which extends Medicaid.
His office: 717-787-2500. Thanks. We need the voices of the people to be heard. This is a terrible and costly decision he is trying to take.
You know what the Republicans real fear is?
That ObamaCare will work and become popular with the People.
The Republicans next fear is the amount of gutting done to ObamaCare to get it to pass will be held against those people the bill needed gutted to get past.
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You've hit on the nub of the problem for conservatives.
The main reason Republicans hate Social Security was because it became so popular they found themselves running against it in elections for the next 30 or 40 years. Todays GOP knows that once Obamacare fully kicks in and people learn how terrific it is, what a major and positive change it makes in their lives, they'll be running against it for the next 30 years.
Once Obamacare kicks in fully, most people will love it. This will infuriate the Republicans. For years to come they will make up lies about how terrible it is!
Good! I am happiest when they are furious!
Why hello India, Haven't chatted with you in awhile...As usual I totally agree with you...
So the GOP has been telling us this expansion will bankrupt businesses, and now they want this expansion to keep their states to be competitive.
Sounds like a "top 10" lie exposed to me...
Water? Nothing so simple. The whole idea was to have all of them boycot the Medicaid expansion. As soon as one broke ranks, that went out the window and the others were just abusing their own citizens in an act of transparently petty partisan spite.
Which was going to be obvious in, for instance, Arizona when Arizona residents were much worse off than comparable NM residents. Etc.
Some of these states will in time have Democrats back in power or the state may realize the mistake it made. Would these states get a second chance to expand Medicaid using federal money or is this a one shot deal?
To quote the article...
Free healthcare, foodstamps, SEC 8 housing, man what a country!!!!
See if I can get maddcow to pay for my booze...
You obviously drink in the afternoon.
Lay off the hooch, maybe you would make more sense.
Donna. That will never happen with cow pie.
Free healthcare? In what fantasy-land do you live? You have a problem with hungry people eating or having a roof over their heads? If the minimum wage were raised, a lot more people wouldn't NEED food stamps or Sec. 8 vouchers; they could pay for their food and rent themselves. Yet the companies they work for rake in big profits and pay their management princely salaries.
Oh, I see. Taking federal money is OK after all. The principles are bendable, depending on how it affects the state budget. Really? Who would have thought cutting off a federal program could ever cause the state or local to pick up the slack. And who would think that MANY R states would take in more federal than blue states that kick in more to the federal pot? Wow, I am amazed…(sarc). Then so MANY blue states take in less that they send to Washington.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/11/states-federal-taxes-spending-charts-maps
Saw it coming, there is a whole lot of fantasy land acting out there. Cut cut cut theirs but shhhhh... don't cut ours.
I guess we don't have to worry any more about Republicant revisionists trying to relabel Obamacare as Romneycare, as the nation starts to realize the savings and moral benefits of the law. I viewed this as a remote possibility during the last campaign. But the idiots dropped the ball and now it'd just make people wanna puke. They behave as if their control of much of the mass media translates into mind-control of much of the electorate, but Lincoln was right, you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
LMAO!!
Yea, in 2016 the Reps are going to be touting how Romneycare had it First!
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The dems of Mass. already set the record straight on the BS during the election , romney tried to undermine their HC reform at every turn , so romney had little to do with it over all , and he ran on ENDING OBAMA CARE
Please proceed Governors
First of the "top 10" happiest countries is the "massive welfare state" of Norway, followed by a bunch of other socialist countries...
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http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2013/01/09/the-worlds-happiest-and-saddest-countries-2/
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I'll bet it correlates well with the "top 10" smartest countries.
Signon.org has a petition circulating in Idaho asking Gov. Otter to reverse his decision on this matter. I can't imagine it will help given the redness of this state, on the other hand, if other republican govs have begun to change their minds AND there is a petition, it seems slightly more hopeful.
Living in Nevada, and in Reno where Sandy's wife oversees a children's organization, my thoughts are: Sandoval tried to posture himself as a budget reformer by cutting a lot of programs funded by the states, laying them onto the county, (which, due to low property tax revenue was a burden, joke...), and got the rap of being a phony. Here in Reno, which is close to Carson City, the power base for Medicaid pushed back greatly. Lots of old money, influence, and good ol' boy situations want their funding. Yes, to help people, but in a large way, also to fund the businesses that depend on Fed/state money. I was part of a council that advised on Adult Day care, and found a good amount of corruption toward that end. I'm doing a blog that will lead up to exposing what I know, and I plan to go on the White House website and petition for some changes. Medicaid money, in the world of Adult Day Care (lots of boomers means big biz), will do more to warehouse people than provide quality service,and the good ol boy network wants their cut. Sandoval's true colors came out in his early years. Now that his endorsement of Romney went nowhere, he's all for Brian Sandoval now. And...he's gotta look good.
Here, in Indiana, our governor will never worry about arithmetic. He knows that when you are 'right', you are 'right' and should never let anything get in the way of that.
Our state has, like most all states, budget problems. Naturally, when you have a budget problem the best course of action is to cut income. Governor Mike 'the 2nd stupidest person on the face of this planet' Pence has therefore proposed a 10% cut in state income tax rates and campaigned upon eliminating corporate income taxes. That our country has a 30+ year history of evidence that cutting taxes on the wealthy does not increase revenues, Governor Pence is confident that the 'tax fairy' will work for this state.
Governor Pence is also proposing to increase spending on education in the state. Of course, the increased spending will be to transfer state funds to non-accountable, non-public 'schools'. Of course, he wants to cut spending on public schools; except for implementing vocational training in place of normal classes in public high schools.
Side note: Governor Pence has been noted as the 2nd stupidest person on the face of this planet; but we have been looking for a long time for number one.
That is freakin sad , thankfully we have a small dem majority in iowa stopping our t bagger govenor , and we actually have a few sane old school gop who work with the dems , SHOCKING!!!
if our gov had his way , the budget would be tanked here also
The insurance companies still "own" the "healthcare" system, charging whatever premiums they like (whopping if you have a "precondition," even if it is no health or physical impediment) with deductibles that basically mean you pay for all your healthcare costs PLUS the insurance premium -- except, oh, gee, you get a free exam once a year. For that, I might as well just kick my premium into a health savings account and meet my own expenses. Except, oh, gee, I have to have health insurance now. I want my government option!!!
The insurers have a wee tiny constraint on what they can charge: 80% minimum has to go to actually paying for health care.
Lands' End is an American clothing retailer based in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, that specializes in casual clothing, luggage, and home furnishings. The majority of Lands' End's business is conducted through mail order and Internet sales (just so you know)
Now you know who they are this is what they are doing to their employees to get out of Obamacare. Lands End has fulltime and temporary people working there. The fulltime are the only people that get paid vacations healthcare etc. The temporary employees many who work over 40 hours get zip..nothing not even paid vacations.
Now they are cutting back on the hours of these temporary people to 29 hours per week to get out of paying benefits according to a friend of mine who works there. Please boycott Lands End by writing to them and telling them what you think of their plans to screw their employees. This really ticks me off....
This republican governor is a brave american. This republican governor has signed the death warrant for his republican political life. Long live brave americans.
Ifor1 You make mention of something that should be looked into, TEMP AGENCY'S, I live in S. WI,and in my County alone there are 15!!! Why hire full time Worker's when you can use Temp's. I see them as nothing but a sham. Too many Co's in my area Require you to go through them in order to apply or get a Job at whatever Company. One of the issue's is that after 90 day's you Might get hired full time, That doesn't happen to often, Why? Benefit's. My nephew has been to 3 different Co's, on time, did a fantastic job, great employee, day 90, Laid off. 2 week's later the Company has an add in the Paper looking for the SAME position to be filled!! Was my nephew called back? Nope
Sarge, I live on the southwest side of WI. That's why I know about Lands End. I don't know where to even start with this but like your nephew who I am guessing lives in a rural area where else do you find work unless you want to drive an hour one way. They have got you by the shoe laces and for now nothing you can do about it. Everyone at LE starts off part time and only a few a year are picked for fulltime from what I hear. I didn't know about the Temp Agencies so that might be part of it... I am glad I am retired!
Ifor1, I see right through these Agencies, Exactly, I don't have to Deal with them, But too many that I know do, The story is the same as I wrote.
Sarge, If I find out more I will let you know... It is just sad...
Yep - Texas is just like this too. Contract workers rule here.
No job security, slave wages, no benefits, and no worker's comp or unemployemnt benefits.
Plus, you have to work for more than one agency to get full time hours, so no overtime either, even though you might work on the same job at the same place continuously for 12+ hours, you technically work 2 or 3 jobs.
JustonePepsi, This is just one More Labor issue that need's to be addressed. Like I stated, 15 Temp Agencies in my County alone. How many Worker's Nationwide are affected by this? Being one of those Union Thug's, What choice do these People have? I would like to hear from People across the Country on this.
I agree with you. I assumed it was more prevalent in Right to Work (for less) states, but now I'm not so sure.
Oh how I wish there were union jobs to be had here. I'd gladly join the ranks of the Union Thugs.