7 reasons states shouldnt expand Medicaid.
By Gov. Bobby Jindal
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas The Louisiana Legislature is debating legislation that would force Louisiana to expand Medicaid as part of President
Obamas health care law. Its a bad move for Louisiana taxpayers. Here are seven reasons
why we shouldnt expand Medicaid.
1. The expansion of Medicaid will move up to 171000 Louisianians off of private insurance and stop another 77000 people from going into private insurance.
Combined that would force about 248000 people out of private coverage and put them into the Medicaid program. The actual uninsured population that should be focused on is about 214000 people. Instead President Obamas healthcare law would actually add double that numberover 450000 peopleto the Medicaid rolls.
2. President Obamas Medicaid expansion could cost taxpayers in Louisiana $1.7 billion over the first 10 years of implementation and the cost will continue to rise.
Additionally the percentage of state funds spent on Medicaid has nearly doubled over the past 16 years and expanding
the program could further threaten funding for higher education transportation and other critical services.
3. By expanding President Obamas healthcare law 41 of Louisianas population would be dumped into Medicaid.
Soon there will be more people riding in the cart than people pulling the cart. The President is gradually turning the worlds greatest health care system into the worlds largest welfare system. The left has been very cleartheir end goal here is to make all healthcare in America government health care.
4. Without expanding Medicaid and once eligible people are enrolled into healthcare exchanges set up by the federal government there will be less than 6 of Louisianians without health insurance.
Thats why the state is focused on implementing public-private partnerships with charity hospitals across the state to expand access.
5. Theres too much uncertainty in President Obamas healthcare law.
The President promised that if his law passed health insurance premiums would go down. Instead people are seeing health care premium increases.
A study from the Society of Actuaries indicates that health insurance premiums will likely increase by 32 for individual and small group policies as a result of the Presidents healthcare law.- A study by Louisiana Association of Health Plans and Americas Health Insurance Plans estimates that the premium tax in the law will force policyholders in Louisiana to pay over $2000 more for single coverage and over $4500 more for family coverage for individuals over the next 10 years.
6. Funding for the Presidents healthcare law is unstable which could encourage cost shifting to states.
For example the U.S. Senate voted to get rid of an excise tax on medical devices that is supposed to generate $30 billion to pay for Obamacare.
Another sign of uncertainty is President Obamas recent proposal to use a blended Medicaid rate which could shift significant cost to the states.
7. The billions of dollars obligated for Medicaid expansion will make a likely target for future deficit reduction talks in Congress.
Louisianians know better than most that federal funding is never guaranteed. Indeed the federal government has already cut $1.8 billion in Medicaid funding for Louisiana and dropped the Medicaid match rate to its lowest point in 25 years.
We know there is a better way. Thats why weve expanded access to care at hospitals across the state through innovative public-private partnerships so that more people can access the quality care they
need.
As proponents of President Obamas healthcare law continue to push for their massive government-run healthcare expansion we will continue pursuing free-market patient-first policies in Louisiana that will strengthen our commitment to delivering high quality healthcare services and graduate medical education at the best possible value for taxpayers.
Bobby Jindal was sworn in as Governor of Louisiana on January 14 2008. He was elected to Congress in 2004.President George W. Bush appointed Jindal to serve as Asst. Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in 2001.
