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Andrew Cline has been editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader since October of 2001. His writing has appeared in more than 100 newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Review.Unpaid Medicaid: No one is protecting NH
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Reader commentsWhile top Democratic leaders in Washington are busy exempting their own states from some of the most onerous effects of their party's health care "reform" bill, many New Hampshire Democrats are providing their constituents with no such protections.
Both the House and Senate versions of the Democrats' health care "reform" bills include dramatic expansions of Medicaid, the joint state/federal health insurance program that was supposed to cover only the poor. Washington Democrats want it to cover families who are not poor enough to qualify under current rules. But they don't want to pay for 100 percent of the costs. So they are preparing to mandate an expansion that the Congressional Budget Office estimates will cost states $33 billion -- states that don't have powerful Democratic senators, that is.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid inserted into the Senate legislation a provision to exempt his home state of Nevada from the effects of that Medicaid expansion.
Reid's exemption "calls for 'full federal funding' of Medicaid for new beneficiaries in only those states that had unemployment rates of at least 12 percent in August and whose Medicaid enrollment is below the national average," Bloomberg News reported this week. "Only Nevada, Rhode Island, Michigan and Oregon meet that criteria."
The other 46 states have to come up with some way to fund the expanded Medicare coverage Washington Democrats want to mandate. For New Hampshire, that would spell budgetary disaster.
What are Gov. John Lynch and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen doing about this? Nothing, at least publicly. While other governors protested, Lynch grumbled something about having "concerns." What about Rep. Carol Shea-Porter? She voted for the House bill. Rep. Paul Hodes did not.
Shea-Porter is working overtime to bring pork back to New Hampshire. But neither she nor Gov. Lynch nor anyone else in their party is fighting to protect New Hampshire taxpayers from this looming financial disaster. When New Hampshire has to institute an income tax to pay for expanded Medicaid coverage, at least the people will know whom to blame.
CORRECTION: When first posted, this editorial incorrectly said that Rep. Hodes voted for the bill.
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YOUR COMMENTS
"Deficit neutral" isn't "tax neutral". This is just a sly way of saying the taxpayers will pick up the tab from day one, no matter what the costs. This blank check from the American workers is a bonanza for the federal government. Taxpayers footing the bills, while fed hacks (who are exempt from "THE PLAN", dictate the terms. They will rake in more and pay out less when they just let people die. Dead people don't collect Social Security, unless they are still voting for Democrats, of course.
- Mae, Plaistow
I don't think you guys understand here. The Federal Government is putting these regulations in effect with the Health Insurance "Reform" bill - They don't care what you think and they don't care what the states think! You are going to pay through the nose for all the new people (200 times poverty level it will be expanded to from 60 or so)) going on Medicaid - That's how the Congress is avoiding the Trillion dollar number in the Health Reform Bill and saying it is "deficit neutral). They are putting the real cost onto the States. Now, tell me how you feel about health insurance "reform".
- Sandy, Thornton
"Unfunded federal mandates" are the norm from Washington. Our misrepresentatives pass all those feel-good laws and expect the states to pick up most, if not all, of the tab.
I believe Jim has it right: “...any health insurance plan accepted in any one state must be accepted in any other state.”
- Guy Plante, Manchester
The Federal Government has no right overruling State laws on health insurance. It’s unconstitutional. The one and only healthcare reform we need from the Federal Government is a law saying, “any health insurance plan accepted in any one state must be accepted in any other state.” This will void a whole host of federal laws and effectively downshift the whole healthcare reform debate onto the backs of the State Legislatures - where it belongs. The biggest issue with Healthcare reform is trust and consensus; People are much more likely to trust their State governments, rather than Federal administrations.
- Jim, Manchester
Each state should be able to have different eligibility standards for Medicaid. Each state government should decide the eligibility standards for Medicaid.
Each state government should be able to decide the maximum amount of money it is going to spend on Medicaid.
Each state government should be able to decide how it is going to spend money on Medicaid.
- Ken Stremsky, Manchester, NH
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