Betty Bowers, one of those rare, highly outspoken Christians who comes from the political left, has a new chart to share. See it over on the left and click on it to enlarge. The chart shows how many more people are expected to die in each state that is refusing Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, compared to that state's historical deaths every year by guns. The chart is based on a comparison of federal uniform crime reporting statistics and a study by the Harvard Medical School. Here in Wisconsin, the comparison looks liike this:
WISCONSIN GUN DEATHS PER YEAR: 151
WIS DEATHS DUE TO WALKER REFUSAL TO ACCEPT MEDICAID EXPANSION FUNDS SIMPLY TO SABOTAGE "OBAMACARE": 671
More and more states have figured out that refusing to expand Medicaid is bad politics and bad ethics. First, because in foregoing federal aid for expansion, those states end up spending more to cover fewer people. And second, because it's immoral and unnecessary and will cost lives. And third, because voters are starting to notice just how foolish this all is.
But one governor in one state continues to hold out, even despite the likely damage to his campaign for governor this year. This governor made up his mind and, despite recurring rumors he's going to change that, so far he's stuck fast to his original plan not to accept additional Medicaid funding, thereby throwing some 83,000 low income adults off coverage. That governor, of course, is Scott Walker.
Walker keeps claiming that the people he's removing from Medicaid protection beginning in April can simply go over to the Affordable Care Act web site (which he refused to set up, forcing the feds to do it at the last minute) and get themselves a subsidized health plan. Trouble is, the ACA plans were never intended to cover low-income people. Only a stupid US Supreme Court decision allowed states to opt out of that system.
In Wisconsin, many of those 83,000 people Walker is casting off simply won't be able to get a subsidy, or afford ACA-approved health plans without a subsidy. Instead, based on the low income they report to the site, they will be told that under ACA rules they are eligible for Medicaid and referred back to the State of Wisconsin, which already ditched them! Talk about your health-care donut hole! Actually, any elected "leader" who would continue to take Walker's stance must have a donut hole for a brain.
And, what's all that GOP nonsense about Democrats creating "death panels"? It looks to us like someone just a wee bit more tea party than (ahem) Obama has created a de facto death panel right here in Wisconsin.
Up against the wall, governor! Drop your "Dr. No" pen and slowly raise both hands above your head.
So call Scott Walker's office and demand that he fix this mess he's created -- the mess that he continues to pretend is somehow Obama's mess. Other states, even deep red states, have figured out this is just the wrong way to go, unless you're a complete ideologue who doesn't really care about good government or wise public policy. Of course, as is more and more apparent, Walker *is* a complete ideologue. But even a broken clock is right twice a day. Let Scotty know he's broken Medicaid in this state, and will be held morally and politically responsible for nearly 700 unnecessay deaths every year until he desists.
For a guy who claims to be pro-life, he sure doesn't look it in this instance.
