Posted on 02/04/2013 5:26:40 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Ohio Gov. John Kasich announced Monday that he will accept the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, becoming the fifth Republican governor to embrace the provision of the health care reform law that the Supreme Court made optional.
The governor unveiled the decision as part of his budget proposal.
We are going to extend Medicaid for the working poor and for those who are jobless trying to find work, Kasich said at a press conference in Columbus. It makes great sense for the state of Ohio because it will allow us to provide greater care with our own dollars.
The four other Republican governors to back the Medicaid expansion are Brian Sandoval of Nevada, Susana Martinez of New Mexico, Jack Dalrymple of North Dakota and Jan Brewer of Arizona. About a dozen GOP governors from red states have rejected the expansion; others from mostly blue and purple states have yet to decide. Democratic governors have broadly embraced it.
Its an enticing deal: the expansion would extend Medicaid eligibility to their residents up to roughly 133 percent of the poverty line. The federal government would cover the full cost of the new beneficiaries in the early years and 90 percent after 2020.
The net effect is 270,000 Ohioans coming into the [Medicaid] program, said Greg Moody, the director of Ohios Office of Health Transformation. Over two years the state of Ohio will have saved $235 million as a result of the decision to extend coverage.
Kasichs decision could influence other undecided Republican governors such as Chris Christie of New Jersey, Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania and Scott Walker of Wisconsin who are caught between wanting to improve the lives of their constituents and to remain in good standing with the conservative movement,
(Excerpt) Read more at tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com ...
They hate us.
Agree! But from just his mannerisms you could tell he had a “wishy-washy” side.
It’s funny how these Repub governors made a big noise about not going along with Obamacare, and then once things quieted down and attention went elsewhere, they started changing their tunes.
It’s “free” money.
Only the most principled (rarely re-elected) can resist the lure of “free” money.
Don’t even tell me to stick with the Republican party, I don’t want to hear it.
Lets get that Tea Party started.
Isn”t funny how all the dirt on this pos law and still we hear cricket noise from the chambers. It is going to bankrupt the people and not a sound from anyone. Like any other bill. They wait to the smoke clears and forget about the law ever taking place.
Why has not on R been talking about this daily? Why are they not keeping it in the light? Not one R has even mentioned it! Every day their is more bad news about Obummer care and still can hear crickets in the halls. Their is enough ammo to get rid of this now and we are to interested in bringing in 20 million illegals into our country to find jobs in the worst economy since the depression. Does any of this make sense?
To think that all these people are that dumb is hard to swallow. Sorry.
We have soldiers practicing arm conflicts in our cities and we find this exceptable. Maybe its me but, I wish it would start because we as a country are slowly boiling in that pot with the frog!
Regards, J
While I don't like this, I do see a couple of advantages. First, it will keep the Dems from holding up the working poor as remaining uninsured due to Kasich. Second, it will help those who are trying to earn a living but can't afford insurance to get some coverage. Some of these are the very people Obamacare was supposed to help in the first place. Unfortunately what they get is a program we already know is a failure and not private insurance.
I don't think it's a done deal yet. I believe it requires approval from Ohio lawmakers.
Don’t count on Ohio changing their method of deciding presidential election winners, Kasich looks to be scared of his own voters.
He follows VA and FL.
Apparently “federal money” just comes from no where, and spending ever-greater amounts of it has no effect on state economies.
You guys and gals realized what massive liars nearly all Republicans are, right? Kasich only cares about reelection, and he saw his state swing dramatically for Obama. Tell me again why you’d ever vote Republican again? Tell me again how I’m “defeatist” for refusing to patronize a big-government party like the GOP?
He wussed out on labor reform too didn’t he?
He’s a mangina.
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