The heated debate on Obama’s Affordable Care Act ended last June when the Supreme Court upheld “Obamacare’s” constitutionality. Since its creation, Gov. Scott Walker has been a clear opponent and has continued to stall on any decisions regarding the Affordable Care Act. But now that the Supreme Court has made its decision and Obama has been re-elected, Walker finally realizes the act is a law, no matter how much he and his party may wish otherwise. Now is the time that the governor must step up and place the interests of Wisconsinites over his own.
Right now, our Governor has a huge decision to make regarding the expansion of Medicaid in Wisconsin. Federal money is available under the new law that would allow Wisconsin to cover approximately 175,000 uncovered people through its Badgercare program. This expansion would include coverage for childless adults between the ages of 18 and 65 with individual incomes below $15,414 ($20,628 for couples). The federal government pays for all of the expansion for three years, $1.4 billion in Wisconsin. After that, the federal reimbursement gradually declines to 90 percent. Through 2020, Wisconsin would receive nearly $4.4 billion in federal money. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?
Not to our Governor. Walker has continued to drag his heels on the issue and continues to ignore his ability to help low-income individuals attain affordable health care.
In his defense, Walker is concerned about how much it would cost Wisconsin in the long run to pay for this expansion. He believes that with the current pressure in Washington, this money could deteriorate in the future. However, one could argue that Walker’s decision revolves around pressure from his Republican friends—who control the legislature—that have been adamantly outspoken against Obama’s health care overhaul.
The fact is, this could help almost 200,000 low-income Wisconsinites. Knowing this should be a leading factor in his decision. Not only would this allow residents to save $247 million in uncompensated care costs, but it would also create an estimated 10,000 new jobs which the Governor strongly needs to reach his unattainable goal of 250,000 by the end of his term.
It’s time that Wisconsinites get back some of the money we sent to Washington. If Walker doesn’t take this deal, our tax money will be spent elsewhere. Along with Democratic support, the expansion is also backed by the Wisconsin Hospital Association, the Wisconsin Medical Society and a number of other state groups.
Will Walker rise above his political affiliations and help 175,000 low-income individuals attain the coverage they need? As a soon-to-be graduate student with only a part-time job, I hope so.
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