No Health Care Exchange Flip Flop

Member Group : Lincoln Institute

I am always flummoxed by politicians who, on occasion, find themselves doing the right thing and on the absolute right side of an issue…

And then suddenly reverse course.

American political history is littered with the carcass of careers of political wafflers – John Kerrey lost the Presidency for his "I was for it until I was against it" stance on the Iraq War and the infamous Arlen Specter – who was against the stimulus before he was for it and a Democrat before he was a Republican before he was a Democrat again (and to think he was confounded why he lost).

I do hope Governor Corbett is scanning that political graveyard as he continues to "consider" whether to reverse course on his very good and very right decision not buy into the federal Medicaid expansion scheme here in Pennsylvania..

During his budget address, the Governor stood against the federal Medicaid expansion scheme, which is nothing more than a bid by the President to put states on the hook for his flawed and failing healthcare law. Corbett said no, but like many politicians, left the door open to saying yes.

Going through that open door and embracing a Medicaid expansion – is akin to slamming the door on the effectiveness of his governorship.

If there is one thing taxpayers in Pennsylvania (and everywhere else in the country) do not like)…it is OBAMACARE. It’s an across the aisle issue and one people wish would just go away.

Any opportunity states have to disentangle themselves from this massive and burdensome entitlement – they should take…and here’s three reasons why:

First, it’s a moral issue. There are more than 2.4 million souls – the poorest and neediest among us — on Medicaid in Pennsylvania. Not one dime of this Medicaid money will go to help those people. In fact, it’s more than likely to steal resources from them as between 800,000 – 1 million new people are added the already overburden and failing Medicaid system.

Thirty two percent of doctors in this state won’t even see the patients on Medicaid now. That’s higher than the national average. Do you know why? Because our federal government will only pay doctors for the care of the sick and the neediest .55 cents on the dollar.

It’s unfair to the poor to put people into a system that more and more doctors are rejecting. And the poor and neediest among us deserve fairness and justice now. Isn’t that what the left is always preaching? How about they start acting on their own words.

Second, it’s a moral issue. Studies show patients on Medicaid have worse health outcomes than people without any insurance. How can any politician talk about jobs and the economic benefits of the new infusion of federal money when people’s lives are at risk? The politicians like State. Rep. Gene DiGirolamo out of Bucks County, who are pushing for a Medicaid expansion and using the economic argument, should hang their head in shame for wanting to create jobs off the backs of the poor and the sick. Isn’t that the very greed of which the left always speaks?

And third, it’s a moral issue. The federal government, it all its debt ridden, downgraded glory, has generously offered to pick up all of the cost of this Medicaid expansion scheme…for awhile…and then Pennsylvania is on the hook. And guess who will be paying for the 800,000 to 1 million new people on the expanded Medicaid system that is expected to cost close to 3 billion dollars by 2022? You and your family.

Raise your hand if you have seen your family’s income decline over the last five years like almost every other American. As a working mom, my both hands are up in near surrender. Just in January, most of us working moms and dads saw our incomes decline by nearly 4% according to the U.S. Commerce department, while our tax bill jumped because President Obama allowed the payroll tax to increase.

If you are like me and most American families, thanks to Obama’s economic policies, you are spending most of your days working to pay the government rather than feed your own family.

Considering that, isn’t it time Governor Corbett stop leaving the door open and remained firm in his original stance of blocking the federal Medicaid expansion scheme? Isn’t it time state reps like Gene Digirolamo start representing the working families of his district instead of the big corporate interests that give the most to his campaign coffers?

And isn’t it time the working families hold them accountable if they do not?

In Liberty and Solidarity – I’m Jennifer Stefano. You can find more at americansforprosperity.org/Pennsylvania or at my website, JenniferStefano.com.