Bill Kaplan Hits Walker for Dumping Low-Income Insureds
Hard to argue with any of this, which is regrettably not an April Fool's Day prank:
...Walker's "plan" is throwing nearly 80,000 Wisconsinites off Medicaid, and with the help of a letter and a phone call, telling them to find their way to the federal exchange. Many will enroll and be eligible for ACA federal tax credits, thanks to the heroic efforts of groups like the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. But Sen. Baldwin rightly said rejecting federal Medicaid funds will result in higher state spending, burden the poor with out-of-pocket costs, many of whom will fall between the cracks, risking worse health outcomes...
When Ohio GOP Gov. John Kasich expanded Medicaid he got emotional talking about helping the disabled, poor and sick. Not Walker. It's all about his political ambitions and pleasing the Tea Party. Wisconsin is being left behind in the dust.
5 comments:
Admittedly, I don't understand all the coverages and eligibilities under the Affordable care Act. But, didn't everyone get promised to have access to affordable health care? I'm not sure how this is a state's responsibility.
If the state would have chosen to stay out of the way and helped to get people the coverage they were entitled to under the ACA, there would be no problem.
Instead, our sick pud of a governor decided striking poses for the Baggers was more important. He blocked the expansion of Medicaid at great cost to Wisconsin taxpayers, and put in massive barriers for navigators whose job was to get people signed up for coverage. That is sick, but that's what Walker and the Wisconsin GOP did, solely to try to score political points by messing with Obamacare.
It is treasonous behavior, and will be looked upon horribly in the coming decades. Even funnier is that Walker and Co FAILED ANYWAY, even with all their attempts to sabotage the ACA
Jake, I'm not sure what you mean. If the state stayed out of the way how could Walker have blocked Medicade? Walker did refuse federal funding to run a federal program, but isn't it the federal government's responsibility to administer the tenants of the Affordable Care Act?
There needs to me more low income medical programs and websites out there!
As one of the uncounted Perhaps I can fill in with some first had experience. I have been off work 7 months at this time. Finished up 1 and a 1/2 years of Chemo. I am on long term insurance that I paid for not my employer. I have now lost my health insurance from my employer. I have had to cancel 2 cancer related appointments so far and must go in to have the port in my chest flushed to avoid infection next week. My annual income at this time is 12k gross. The NEW poverty level which Walker changed from 134% of Fed Level to 100% is $11,670 gross. The cost of living in Wis has NOT gone down. Walker had to cut thousands off of assistance to give out tax breaks so he changed the poverty level to the same as Alabama, Mississippi. ACA is set up to work with the expansion of Medicare and States had to set their poverty level at 134% of the Federal Poverty Line in order to qualify the poor & ill for coverage. In order to cover the costs of cancer related treatments I must sign up for a Platinum plan on ACA. The cheapest policy for treatment I found costs $1,670 Per month. The tax Subsidy $577 per month so per month cost to me $1,093. there are some more tax credits but my income is non-taxable, and if I do qualify for some it in no way negates the enormity of its cost. Plus it has $40 dollar copays All of it is beyond my $1,000 a month income. I am single and have been renting the same flat for 25 years. Nothing fancy but it's home. I was a hard worker my whole life till this hit. 25% chance I will survive. I truly never thought I would have to fight harder to get treatment than it is to fight the cancer in me. Also we have a state insurance Commissioner Ted Nickel, an insurance company executive veteran, appointed by Walker, who's job it is to fight for good insurance for the people of Wisconsin. He is allowing us all to be ripped off as evidence of what Minnesota's commissioner was able to accomplish.It is complicated and I am sure Walker and the GOP count on people not delving in to the math. In my mind he is killing me, and I am sure Im not the only one.
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