Easy call
Expansion of Medicaid — that is, providing better health care for more poor people — is exactly the sort of thing that Winthrop Rockefeller espoused in the late 1960s, when he was Arkansas's first Republican governor since Reconstruction. Today's Republican majority in the state legislature is cool to such generosity if not coldly resistant. In the case of the Arkansas Republican Party, bigger is definitely not better.
Probably the kindest thing one can say about the Republicans opposed to Medicaid expansion is that they are not just being cruel because they hate poor people. No, they hate the Democratic president who won passage of the Affordable Care Act too. And he's not poor. Give them that.
Gov. Mike Beebe is leading the effort to extend Medicaid to over 200,000 low-income Arkansans. He'll need all his powers of persuasion, which are considerable.
Expansion of Medicaid will, Beebe has pointed out, provide health care to people not covered elsewhere in the law, reduce uncompensated care, and protect hospitals that will experience cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates whether or not Arkansas chooses to expand Medicare. And all this will be accomplished with federal, not state, money. The federal government will pay 100 percent of the cost of new enrollees until 2017. Then the state's share will gradually increase to 10 percent by 2020.
Beebe told the legislature last week, "Without help, some of our hospitals in Arkansas, particularly rural hospitals, could be forced to close. This would be devastating to our small towns ... Expanding Medicaid will create additional private-sector jobs. We just have to say yes."
For well-intentioned legislators, that should not be difficult.
Speaking of Medicaid Expansion
-
Open Line
June 13, 2013The line is open. Closing out... /more/
-
Competition, the private option, and an under-the-radar policy decision
June 12, 2013My talking head chats with Roby Brock about the "private option" and carrier competition on the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace (HIM). /more/
-
Attorney General gives okay on "private option" referendum
June 11, 2013Who’s ready to debate the “private option” all over again? Attorney General Dustin McDaniel today approved the popular name and ballot title for a proposed referendum on the healthcare legislation passed by a super-majority in the House and Senate and signed into law by Gov. Mike Beebe last April. /more/
-
Arkansas "private option" remains unique plan for Medicaid expansion
June 10, 2013Health Affairs puts the spotlight on Arkansas and the so-called “private option” for Medicaid expansion.This middle ground or “private option” appears more politically tenable for states led by conservative lawmakers intent on moving more people into the private market. /more/
-
Open Line, brought to you by the inspiring leadership of Phil Bryant and Mark Pryor
June 4, 2013The line is open. A few odds and ends... /more/
-
Health-insurance marketplace: letters of intent from carriers due today
June 3, 2013Today is a big first test for implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Arkansas, particularly the so-called “private option” for Medicaid expansion. /more/
-
How refusing Obamacare hurts the poorest of the poor
May 25, 2013David Ramsey illustrated this point yesterday. If Arkansas's adoption of Obamacare through the so-called private option falls apart, the poorest of the state's poor would be left with no health coverage, while some subsidies would be provided for people with higher income. /more/
-
Republicans against healthcare expansion now worried about outcome if expansion doesn't happen
May 24, 2013At the joint committee hearing on the "private option" plan for healthcare expansion, Rep. David Meeks asked about Plan B. "Are we anticipating what we would do if something happens and we don’t get the private option?" /more/
-
Details emerge on Arkansas "private option" for Medicaid expansion
May 23, 2013The House and Senate Public Health committees met today to hear updates on the “private option” plan for expanding healthcare coverage. /more/
-
Massive resistance to Obamacare produces results
May 16, 2013Sarah Kliff at the Washington Post's Wonkblog disputes those who think serial votes by the U.S. House against Obamacare are meaningless political theater. /more/
- More »
Latest in Editorials
-
Huck beats Rick
We now know for sure that screwy right-wing ex-governors of Arkansas make more sense than screwy right-wing incumbent governors of Texas. Political scientists had so theorized for some time; the point was proved over the weekend.
- Jun 20, 2013
-
Respect yourself
Announcing her candidacy for lieutenant governor, Dianne Curry said she considered running for the Second Congressional District seat and state auditor "before deciding lieutenant governor best fits her experience and abilities."
- Jun 20, 2013
-
Regnat Populus
hat Democracy is rule by the people was once considered self-evident in this country, but that changed with the Supreme Court's disastrous ruling in the Citizens United case.
- Jun 13, 2013
- More »
Event Calendar
-
Re: Scrapping the Fourth Amendment
I still haven't seen a statement from Tom Cotton about the NSA surveillance revelations and…
- on June 19, 2013
-
Re: Pryor and the politics of provincialism
Maybe. Depends on who his oppostition will be on the GOP side. I usually vote…
- on June 17, 2013
Site Index
News
Cover Story / Arkansas Reporter / The Week That Was / Smart Talk / The Insider / The Observer / Editorial / Max Brantley / Ernest Dumas / Gene Lyons / Bob Lancaster / Words / Guest Writer / Letters
Entertainment
A&E Feature / To-Do List / In Brief / Movie Reviews / Music Reviews / Theater Reviews / A&E News / Art Notes / Graham Gordy / Books / Media / Dining Reviews / Dining Guide / What's Cookin' / Calendar / The Televisionist / Movie Listings / Gallery Listings
This Week's Cover
Quick Links
Special Publications
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
