By State Representative, Leon D. Young
Leon D. Young
Back in February, Governor Scott Walker announced that he was rejecting Medicaid expansion under the federal health care law. He cited two reasons for this decision. First, he wanted to have fewer people in the state who are uninsured. And second, he emphasized that he’d like to have fewer people in the state who are dependent on the government.
Walker then went to unveil his proposal which he described as a hybrid plan. The governor pledged that he would boost state spending on Medicaid programs by $644 million in the current budget proposal for 2013-15. Moreover, Walker alleged that his plan would reduce the number of uninsured people by 224,580, or by as much as 50 percent, which was close to the change that would have occurred under the Medicaid expansion.
Governor Walker’s refusal of $4.38 billion in federal money is pure politics. His plan will cost taxpayers more, cover fewer Wisconsinites and unnecessarily cause confusion for providers, hospitals and residents.
It’s estimated that 87,000 people will be kicked off BadgerCare if the governor’s changes are adopted. It’s also estimated that the state will lose out on 10,000 additional health care jobs that would have been created as a result of the Medicaid expansion. But now, the rubber may in fact be meeting the road. Over 230 organizations representing medical professionals, health advocates, businesses, labor, hospitals, consumers, patients, doctors, seniors and newspaper editorial boards have called on the Wisconsin State Legislature to overturn Scott Walker’s BadgerCare blunder. Pressure is mounting on State Senators to reverse Walker’s plan to reject billions in federal dollars for BadgerCare. As of this week, there are now enough public declarations of opposition to Walker’s plan by GOP Senators to block it in the Senate.
For whatever reason, this governor has demonstrated a proclivity for refusing to accept large sums of federal dollars that are intended for the betterment of Wisconsin. The high-speed rail project is another reminder of this governor’s recalcitrance. In that instance, Scott Walker thumbed his nose at a fully-funded, federal high-speed rail project that would have captured $819 million for the state.
Scott Walker has been playing politics with the health and prosperity of Wisconsin residents. It’s time to say that enough is enough. I strongly urge my GOP Senate colleagues to oppose Walker’s plan to reject billions in federal Medicaid dollars for BadgerCare.