We gave Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal some grief earlier this month for his sagging poll numbers down on the Bayou, but credit where credit is due: Jindal, like S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, has taken a principled stand against the proposed expansion of his state’s Medicaid system under “Obamacare.”
In fact if more states followed Jindal’s lead on this critical issue, there’s a good chance U.S. President Barack Obama’s socialized medicine monstrosity would collapse under its own unsustainability.
We’ve addressed the Medicaid expansion issue extensively both nationally and as it relates to the debate here in the Palmetto State, but the bottom line is rejecting this “free” federal money – along with the establishment of Obamacare’s “exchanges” – is a vital step in defanging this budget-busting, liberty-depriving new entitlement.
“Collectively, states can shield all employers and at least 12 million taxpayers from the law’s new taxes, and still reduce federal deficits by $1.7 trillion, simply by refusing to establish Exchanges or expand Medicaid,” wrote health care expert Michael Cannon of The Cato Institute.
Unfortunately far too many governors – including several “Republicans” – are opting to take the federal bribe.
To his credit, Jindal is saying “thanks, but no thanks” – a decision which will save his state’s taxpayers (and American taxpayers) some serious coin.
How much?
“If the Louisiana legislature listens to Governor Jindal, Louisiana taxpayers will save $337 million from 2014 through 2019, and federal taxpayers another $7.3 billion over the same period, according to a Kaiser estimate,” noted Bill Wilson of Americans for Limited Government – one of the nation’s preeminent pro-liberty, pro-free market advocacy groups. “They will be helping to defend taxpayers across the country from an unsustainable expansion of the entitlement state.”
Indeed …
“While some governors have caved on this issue, Bobby Jindal has stood on principle, and for that, he deserves the thanks of every taxpayer in the nation,” Wilson added. “Hopefully the legislature will listen to him, but should members vote to expand Medicaid, we urge Governor Jindal to veto it.”
Jindal does deserve props for his decision … and South Carolina taxpayers (who could be seeing more of the Louisiana governor as their “First in the South” presidential primary approaches) owe him and the other leaders who have rejected this bribe their thanks.
***
30 comments
Disagree: Obamacare is a heck of a lot better than GOP-Don’t-Care. Refusing Medicare is just a grand stand. The cost is 100% paid for by the Feds. Then after a few years it drops to 90%. We can’t provide anything that good in SC. In fact, it will cost the State of SC millions more in medical payments to hospital corporations and insurance companies than the Obamacare expansion of Medicare would cost the State. Plus, the latest polls show the vast majority of SC Citizens want Medicare expansion.
Please drop your last point if you’re trying to make a serious argument. Your “vast majority” of SC citizens (true in the other 49 states as well, lest anyone think I’m SC-bashing) are standing in line in a Wal-Mart as we discuss this, reading a copy of the National Enquirer from the impulse rack, and trying to avoid the “PeopleofWal-Mart.com” photographers. They have absolutely no understanding that we can’t continue to spend money we have to print without consequences.
So it’s better to just let the uninsured to go to the Emergency Room, which is what is already happening?
“Vast majority”???… some silly poll shows 50.8% as the vast majority?? Medicare is not the way to go to address the ‘health insurance’ needs of the state. This is not health CARE or access or any other such animal. Expansion of free medical clinics and the program in Charleston that works to provide services for lower income individuals who PAY to participate are the way to go and actually cost lest per capita in the long haul. Everyone needs skin in the game to make any system work… as Denmark has learned the hard way. When facts are given most of the arguments pro expansion go away. Stop these baloney talking points and if you think the completely bankrupt ‘feds’ are going to pay for this, well, I am sure there is some great beachfront property you can find in Arizona.
Medicare is not the way to go to address the ‘health insurance’ needs of the state.
I somewhat agree with this, although the states rejecting the Medicaid expansion aren’t coming up with any solutions, and neither are Congressional Republicans.
I do agree because Medicaid shouldn’t be a cover-all solution, it should remain a tool to help the poorest people, people who literally would never be able to afford medical care, to be able to get some level of care. Most importantly, it should cover children, the disabled, and the elderly who don’t have the means of helping themselves.
I don’t agree completely because many states have extremely stringent requirements needed to qualify for Medicaid coverage, and that leads to a lot of people who can’t afford insurance or basic health care, but can’t get any assistance either. We do need to expand Medicaid, but not to the degree proposed, and we need a better plan to help those who can pay something into the system be able to afford getting insured.
All of this is rather moot though when you consider that the entire system itself is broken and all we are doing is putting whipped cream on a turd.
I do agree with your post, except:
Plus, the latest polls show the vast majority of SC Citizens want Medicare expansion. [citation needed]
Here’s what I found:
http://www.thestate.com/2013/04/21/2734674/exclusive-most-south-carolinians.html
50.8% isn’t a “vast majority,” unless you are going by another poll.
Disagree: Obamacare is a heck of a lot better than GOP-Don’t-Care. Refusing Medicare is just a grand stand. The cost is 100% paid for by the Feds. Then after a few years it drops to 90%. We can’t provide anything that good in SC. In fact, it will cost the State of SC millions more in medical payments to hospital corporations and insurance companies than the Obamacare expansion of Medicare would cost the State. Plus, the latest polls show the vast majority of SC Citizens want Medicare expansion.
Please drop your last point if you’re trying to make a serious argument. Your “vast majority” of SC citizens (true in the other 49 states as well, lest anyone think I’m SC-bashing) are standing in line in a Wal-Mart as we discuss this, reading a copy of the National Enquirer from the impulse rack, and trying to avoid the “PeopleofWal-Mart.com” photographers. They have absolutely no understanding that we can’t continue to spend money we have to print without consequences.
So it’s better to just let the uninsured to go to the Emergency Room, which is what is already happening?
“Vast majority”???… some silly poll shows 50.8% as the vast majority?? Medicare is not the way to go to address the ‘health insurance’ needs of the state. This is not health CARE or access or any other such animal. Expansion of free medical clinics and the program in Charleston that works to provide services for lower income individuals who PAY to participate are the way to go and actually cost lest per capita in the long haul. Everyone needs skin in the game to make any system work… as Denmark has learned the hard way. When facts are given most of the arguments pro expansion go away. Stop these baloney talking points and if you think the completely bankrupt ‘feds’ are going to pay for this, well, I am sure there is some great beachfront property you can find in Arizona.
Medicare is not the way to go to address the ‘health insurance’ needs of the state.
I somewhat agree with this, although the states rejecting the Medicaid expansion aren’t coming up with any solutions, and neither are Congressional Republicans.
I do agree because Medicaid shouldn’t be a cover-all solution, it should remain a tool to help the poorest people, people who literally would never be able to afford medical care, to be able to get some level of care. Most importantly, it should cover children, the disabled, and the elderly who don’t have the means of helping themselves.
I don’t agree completely because many states have extremely stringent requirements needed to qualify for Medicaid coverage, and that leads to a lot of people who can’t afford insurance or basic health care, but can’t get any assistance either. We do need to expand Medicaid, but not to the degree proposed, and we need a better plan to help those who can pay something into the system be able to afford getting insured.
All of this is rather moot though when you consider that the entire system itself is broken and all we are doing is putting whipped cream on a turd.
I do agree with your post, except:
Plus, the latest polls show the vast majority of SC Citizens want Medicare expansion. [citation needed]
Here’s what I found:
http://www.thestate.com/2013/04/21/2734674/exclusive-most-south-carolinians.html
50.8% isn’t a “vast majority,” unless you are going by another poll.
Jindal gave up on his plan to eliminate state income taxes. Once the citizens learned only the rich would save money versus the sales tax increases included, his poll numbers tanked. Somehow that story never got reported by FITS.
lol…
There’s a lot of things FITS doesn’t report. Case in point: Robert Menendez. Posted as of yesterday he mentions the “scandal” and links to an older article about the “scandal” that has already been called into question.
https://www.fitsnews.com/2013/04/24/lindsey-graham-special-interest-whore/
A link to ABC’s coverage of when it became known that the people in question were paid to make false claims, written March 6th:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/robert-menendez-prostitution-scandal-happened/story?id=18664472#.UXkwc0qSJck
The story was first put out by the Daily Caller, which is the entity charged with paying people to make up the story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/03/22/did-daily-caller-pay-to-frame-menendez/
Doesn’t even get a mention.
Jindal gave up on his plan to eliminate state income taxes. Once the citizens learned only the rich would save money versus the sales tax increases included, his poll numbers tanked. Somehow that story never got reported by FITS.
lol…
There’s a lot of things FITS doesn’t report. Case in point: Robert Menendez. Posted as of yesterday he mentions the “scandal” and links to an older article about the “scandal” that has already been called into question.
https://www.fitsnews.com/2013/04/24/lindsey-graham-special-interest-whore/
A link to ABC’s coverage of when it became known that the people in question were paid to make false claims, written March 6th:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/robert-menendez-prostitution-scandal-happened/story?id=18664472#.UXkwc0qSJck
The story was first put out by the Daily Caller, which is the entity charged with paying people to make up the story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/03/22/did-daily-caller-pay-to-frame-menendez/
Doesn’t even get a mention.
Desperately trying to resurrect ypur presidential chances?You NEVER were in it Bobby!But hey got an attaboy from a few Republicans like Fits.Now go sit down!
Desperately trying to resurrect ypur presidential chances?You NEVER were in it Bobby!But hey got an attaboy from a few Republicans like Fits.Now go sit down!
Isn’t it illegal to keep spider monkeys in most states?
Isn’t it illegal to keep spider monkeys in most states?
As Vic hinted taxpayers pay much more with the current “If I ain’t got no insurance I go to the emergency room” system. A 10 minute visit (3 hours including wait) in HH cost me and insurance 1k. If it was a Urgent care facility it would have been 1/5 of that. It was off hours, but wtf.
As Vic hinted taxpayers pay much more with the current “If I ain’t got no insurance I go to the emergency room” system. A 10 minute visit (3 hours including wait) in HH cost me and insurance 1k. If it was a Urgent care facility it would have been 1/5 of that. It was off hours, but wtf.
I once thought Jindal had potential to be a new Republican I could support. But his social beliefs and some of his political actions have killed that for me.
I once thought Jindal had potential to be a new Republican I could support. But his social beliefs and some of his political actions have killed that for me.
1) I find it pretty fucking sad that the states that need ObamaCare the most are rejecting it.
2) What health care reforms is Bobby Jindal, or ANY state/governor that has rejected ObamaCare’s health care exchanges and/or Medicaid expansions for that matter, passing in order to fix the problems that ObamaCare attempts to address? You know, especially the part where people show up to the ER because they can’t go anywhere else due to being poor, rack up an extreme amount of debt, and pass it on to everyone else when they go bankrupt? Or those who get outright refused service because it isn’t something the hospital is required to treat?
3) Most damning of all, rejecting the Medicaid expansion won’t have much of an impact on the sustainability of ObamaCare since the federal government pays for 100% of the expansion for a while and then steps down to paying for 90% of it. How is it suddenly going to collapse into itself if it was planning on paying for all-to-most of the expansion in the first place?
It just underlines the fact that Republicans see no issue with our broken health care system and don’t give a rat’s ass about actually improving the lives of Americans. Their rich donors can afford health care, so everything must be peachy.
1) I find it pretty fucking sad that the states that need ObamaCare the most are rejecting it.
2) What health care reforms is Bobby Jindal, or ANY state/governor that has rejected ObamaCare’s health care exchanges and/or Medicaid expansions for that matter, passing in order to fix the problems that ObamaCare attempts to address? You know, especially the part where people show up to the ER because they can’t go anywhere else due to being poor, rack up an extreme amount of debt, and pass it on to everyone else when they go bankrupt? Or those who get outright refused service because it isn’t something the hospital is required to treat?
3) Most damning of all, rejecting the Medicaid expansion won’t have much of an impact on the sustainability of ObamaCare since the federal government pays for 100% of the expansion for a while and then steps down to paying for 90% of it. How is it suddenly going to collapse into itself if it was planning on paying for all-to-most of the expansion in the first place?
It just underlines the fact that Republicans see no issue with our broken health care system and don’t give a rat’s ass about actually improving the lives of Americans. Their rich donors can afford health care, so everything must be peachy.
when you deny Medicaid, you hurt poor, medically needy families.
Jindal is nothing more than a little colored man, a factotum carrying water for, and kowtowing to, his rich white betters in the GOP.
i love how the GOP expresses its sense of “family values!” Voters saw through this last November and voted for Democrats. All the GOP does is provide fodder for the Dems advertising machinery.
when you deny Medicaid, you hurt poor, medically needy families.
Jindal is nothing more than a little colored man, a factotum carrying water for, and kowtowing to, his rich white betters in the GOP.
i love how the GOP expresses its sense of “family values!” Voters saw through this last November and voted for Democrats. All the GOP does is provide fodder for the Dems advertising machinery.
Jindal needs to stick with giving the State of the Union rebuttal……….or maybe not ……?
Louisiana is a dump and he’s a good poster boy.
I guess they will continue with the corruption/graft/embezzlement plan. This seemed liked a golden opportunity to expand that system.
Oh well !
Jindal needs to stick with giving the State of the Union rebuttal……….or maybe not ……?
Louisiana is a dump and he’s a good poster boy.
I guess they will continue with the corruption/graft/embezzlement plan. This seemed liked a golden opportunity to expand that system.
Oh well !