Posted on 10/19/2015 7:39:10 AM PDT by MichCapCon
A bill introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, would prohibit the state from advertising “Healthy Michigan,” which is the title the Snyder administration gave to its adoption of the Obamacare Medicaid expansion.
The current state budget authorizes spending $2 million annually to promote the Medicaid expansion to potential enrollees. Of that, $1 million comes from Michigan taxpayers and the balance from federal matching funds.
“I ran into a constituent who complained about the state advertising Healthy Michigan. Then I saw the commercial on TV and it made me upset,” Schuitmaker said. “Here we have something that was estimated to be for more like 400,000 people and it’s already up to 600,000. So there is all of that additional money we’ll be spending and then we turn around and spend even more on advertising it. Why? Obviously we don’t need to be spending more dollars advertising this, and doing so just encourages more people to become dependent on government.”
In 2013, Gov. Rick Snyder called for the Michigan Legislature to accept the Medicaid expansion, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a provision in the federal health care law that had required states to loosen eligibility rules on Medicaid. That summer, amid rancor and contentiousness, the GOP-controlled Legislature approved the expansion by allowing Democratic lawmakers to provide the majority of needed votes.
Critics of the expansion, angered over a Republican-controlled Legislature enacting a key component of Obamacare, warned that state taxpayers would be on the hook for billions of dollars in continuing costs if the federal government cut back its share of the funding. In 2013, the state Medicaid agency estimated that the expansion would lead to another 477,000 people on Medicaid; two years later, the number of additional people enrolled is more than 600,000.
Schuitmaker’s bill, Senate Bill 542, was introduced on Oct. 6. It simply states, “Beginning October 1, 2015 a state agency shall not use state funds to advertise or otherwise encourage enrollment in the Healthy Michigan plan.”
"I don’t think this is something we should be doing and I especially don’t believe it is something we should be using taxpayers’ dollars to do," Schuitmaker said.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Health Policy Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake. Although Shirkey voted for the Medicaid expansion he is one of the co-sponsors of Schuitmaker’s bill. The other co-sponsors include the following: Sen. Jack Brandenburg, R-Harrison Township; Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart; Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St Clair; and Sen. John Proos, R-St. Joseph.
The governor did not respond to an email offering the opportunity to comment on the bill.
I think its obscene when the government advertises to get people to sign up for government programs and public assistance like this. Its turning the country into a bunch of dependents whose goal in life is to sign up for as many government checks and benefits as they can get. Its a sad commentary on where we are today. All this advertising should be banned.
I find ads for tax money giveaways just a bit galling.
Obama’s government is intentionally undermining all these exchanges by encouraging and approving more transitions to Medicaid. And though even Medicaid is a Fed/State responsibility, I believe that is what is also behind the cause for the upcoming rise in Medicare Part B premiums.
This government - Obama - is hell bent on destroying any semblance of a private function relating to healthcare. It is communist/state oriented in that it steadfastly believes all things flow to and derive from “The State.” It is tyranny and we are the subjects.
Those ads are targeted at people who are doing for themselves, aimed at making them think “why am I being such a sucker, doing for myself?”
The ones that really irritated me were the ads for the census to make sure everybody was counted “so your neighborhood gets its fair share”.
All the "inquiries' (online) .. demanded basic data input to send us a quote
We found one we liked and signed up (not obozocare)
We've been getting a runningly increasing bill from some gummint outfit warning us her ins will be dropped if we don't pay X in 30 days
Those letters started about 6 months ago
Still got 30 days, though.
All the "inquiries' (online) .. demanded basic data input to send us a quote
We found one we liked and signed up (not obozocare)
We've been getting a runningly increasing bill from some gummint outfit warning us her ins will be dropped if we don't pay X in 30 days
Those letters started about 6 months ago
Still got 30 days, though.
A much needed move as government should never advertise for Medicaid, Welfare, Medicare, Obamacare or any type of government care. Only allow private companies to advertise to people about how to care for themselves.
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