Medicaid expansion becomes weapon against GOP governors

[ProSense]

Medicaid expansion becomes weapon against GOP governors

By Greg Sargent

It’s widely accepted as an article of faith that Obamacare will be uniformly bad politics for Dems in 2014. After all, the rollout is a disaster and majorities disapprove of the law, so how could it possibly be any other way, right?

Here’s something that counter-programs that narrative a bit: Democrats are currently using a major pillar of the health law — the Medicaid expansion — as a weapon against Republican Governors in multiple 2014 races. Many of these Governors opted out of the expansion or have advanced their own replacement solutions, and many are facing serious challenges.

In Florida, Democrat Charlie Crist has excoriated GOP Governor Rick Scott for dragging his feet on the Medicaid expansion, claiming a “million” Floridians “will not get health care” as a result. In Wisconsin, Democrat Mary Burke is campaigning on a pledge to reverse GOP Governor Scott Walker’s decision to turn down $119 million in federal money to expand Medicaid to more low-income Wisconsinites.

In Pennsylvania, multiple Dems looking to run for governor are attacking GOP Governor Tom Corbett for subbing in his own plan to expand Medicaid, arguing it’s a ploy to defuse the issue. In Maine, Dem Rep. Mike Michaud is attacking GOP Governor Paul LePage for refusing to opt in.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/12/03/medicaid-expansion-becomes-weapon-against-gop-governors/

AK-Sen: Mark Begich (D) Keeps On Pushing Gov. Sean Parnell (R) To Expand Medicaid In Alaska
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/03/1259860/-AK-Sen-Mark-Begich-D-Keeps-On-Pushing-Gov-Sean-Parnell-R-To-Expand-Medicaid-In-Alaska

Governor Parnell:

Accepting federal money for Medicaid expansion would give as many as 40,000 Alaskans health care security. This includes disabled and low-income Alaskans, as well as military veterans and their families. It would also create an estimated 4,000 new jobs in the state.

Your decision to refuse Medicaid expansion dollars is purely political — and it hurts Alaska families.

I am joining Senator Mark Begich and urging you to reconsider your decision. Drop the politics and accept federal dollars that will benefit Alaska’s families.

<...>

http://www.markbegich.com/landing/e131203/?subsource=ngpattre131203

The Best Obamacare News That Nobody Is Talking About

By Sy Mukherjee

Applications for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) spiked throughout the nation during Obamacare’s first month of open enrollment, and skyrocketed in the states participating in the health law’s Medicaid expansion, according to preliminary monthly data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Tuesday. Nearly 1.5 million low-income Americans now have access to public health insurance.

Americans submitted nearly 2.5 million applications for Medicaid or CHIP coverage in October, and over 1.46 million of them were approved. That’s an 8.6 percent overall increase compared to the average number of applications submitted to state Medicaid agencies between July and September. Broken down by Medicaid expansion status, applications rose by a significant 4.1 percent even in states refusing the expansion — and a staggering 15.5 percent in the states accepting it — compared to the previous three months:

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http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/12/03/3012451/obamacare-news-talking/

[Laelth]

1. Good. k&r n/t

-Laelth

[Cha]

2. I'm betting by 2014 Dems will be running on ACA/Obamacare.. they

will have gotten over their chicken-livered reaction to "the website" because the success stories will far out weigh "the dreaded Obamacare".

Thanks for the report on Medicaid Expansion or lack thereof, ProSense.

[freshwest]

3. They need to go after RicktheHairPerry over this, too:

Quickly, from about five years ago:

Friend's brother suffering from cancer some years, got help from Medicare and Medicaid, the university doctors, and all that his family could do to help. He died with good care, and for almost all that time in exceptionally good health, after ten years. When Perry flipped the third finger at the federal government, she said she was glad it was after he'd died, not before.

Now, after Emperor Rick's decree:

Same friend's BNL just diagnosed with leukemia. Could be treated, but would need additional Medicaid help. Like her brother, this man worked and paid his taxes, didn't do anything to harm himself, has lived a good and faithful life, having cared for his wife who had Alzheimer's for many years. Now he was supposed to get a little grace. But that is not how it is now. Go and die, is what he has been told.

The GOP must become extinct, and we must turn these psychopaths out of office next year. These are real people.