EXTREMELY URGENT ACTION REQUIRED – Medicaid Expansion Testimony Needed!

I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.- James Madison

CLICK HERE to let your elected officials know you oppose the Obamacare Medicaid expansion supported by Governor Nixon and big government spending special interests!

‎When asked, Missouri voters have overwhelmingly rejected various aspects of Obamacare such as the individual mandate and bureaucratic establishment of a healthcare insurance exchange.  There is no doubt that if a vote to overturn Obamacare were placed on the ballot it would pass overwhelmingly!

Supporters of Obamacare and its associated big government spending aren’t taking their defeat during the past legislative session lying down! They continue to pull out all the stops to convince the Missouri General Assembly to expand Medicaid.  It’s bad policy, it won’t help those who proponents say it will help and it will increase the federal debt and our share of it!

The debate on whether the General Assembly should expand Medicaid is heating up – again. Two interim committees were appointed by the Speaker of the House and one by the President Pro Tem of the Senate. One of the House Committees, Interim Committee on Citizens and Legislators Working Group on Medicaid Eligibility and Reform,is conducting hearings around the state.

Their first hearing – as will most of their hearings – was held during the day.  Because most of those who pay for Medicaid are working and couldn’t show up to be against it, the false perception is that Missourians support expansion.  That couldn’t be further from the truth! CLICK HERE to send a witness form against Medicaid expansion.

The Chairman of the committee tweeted, @NoelTorpey: “After reviewing many notes from Medicaid hearings across the state it is crystal clear that Missourians want expansion & reform @ this point”

Now I believe he did that to try to stir up some interest from the opponents. What he failed to realize is that the opponents don’t have time to look on the House website to see that there is an interim committee on Medicaid expansion and that they are having hearings across the state and that they should take off work or rearrange their weekend plans with little notice to attend a hearing that has the recipients and providers bussed in and organized to give the impression that Missouri supported expansion!

Most of us are asking, “what part of NO to Obamacare – any part of Obamacare – do you not understand from Missourians?!”. 

Missourians voted overwhelmingly for Proposition C in 2010. They voted overwhelmingly again in 2012 for Proposition E.  Missourians rejected the President’s bid for re-election by a comfortable nine point margin! Missourians DO NOT support Obamacare or any of its elements such as Medicaid expansion!

CLICK HERE to send a witness form against Medicaid expansion.

The “selling” points seem to be grouped into four main areas:

1.      The federal government will be funding it for “free” for the first few years.

• False – It is not free it is our tax dollars and borrowed Chinese funds (40-46% borrowed). Missouri would not be adding almost $6 billion to the federal debt/deficit by rejecting expansion.

2.      Missouri’s Medicaid money will be spent in another state if we don’t’ take it.

• False – Medicaid funding is primarily based on the number of recipients/services delivered. It’s not like highway funds that can simply be moved away from one state to another.  Any state will be reimbursed for their Medicaid program based on the recipients/services provided not on what money is available because another state did not expand Medicaid.

3.      Expansion will create jobs.

• Unsupported – This is based on a study performed by the University of Missouri and a North Carolina company.  Similar studies performed in the past have proven completely inaccurate. Any jobs created by Medicaid expansion are really government jobs being paid for in the private sector by federal and state taxpayer money.

4.      Better healthcare outcomes will result when more people have access to government provided healthcare.

• False – There is no reliable data available to support the statement. In fact, Oregon’s Health Insurance Experiment results show that expansion DOES NOT result in anything but nominal healthcare outcome improvements but DO significantly increase healthcare facility utilization and costs.

Your immediate attention is required to prevent more government spending. CLICK HERE to send a witness form against Medicaid expansion!

The interim committee is comprised of many “pro” expansion health care providers.  They are doing an inside job in supporting expansion.  The special interest groups are out in force stacking the hearings in support of expansion.  I’ve seen it first hand with the transportation and organization that takes place before and at these meetings. We need to let them know the legislature made the right decision NOT TO expand Medicaid during the session and that they should not expand it! CLICK HERE to send a witness form against Medicaid expansion.

One of the financial rating service, Moody’s, has downgraded Missouri’s outlook to negative on credit rating.  Why? Our extreme reliance on federal funds which will only get worse with Medicaid expansion putting our state’s credit rating in danger was given as the reason.

Implementing Medicaid expansion will not only exacerbate the reliance on federal funds but place the state at financial risk with no way to pay for the expansion WHEN the federal government changes the rules. Let there be no doubt they will change them at some point – they have in the past and absolutely no reason to think they won’t in the future!

But it’s not only the cost to state taxpayers of nearly $6 billion in federal funds but the Kaiser Family Foundation data projects it could cost the state anywhere from $1 – $3 billion of state funds through 2022.  Missouri taxpayers cannot afford to expand Medicaid. CLICK HERE to let your representative and senator know you OPPOSE Medicaid expansion.

Thank you for your activism. Grassroots soldiers have shown they are effective all across the state.  You have already been seeing the grassroots impact in statements from legislative leaders saying NO to expansion.  Without consistent support and backing, it will grow more and more difficult for them to continue to say NO!

Now it is time to reinforce your NO vote to your legislators.  We must remain engaged to protect our liberties!

Sincerely,

Carl Bearden

Executive Director

United for Missouri

Like what United for Missouri’s Future and United for Missouri are doing? Invest in our work by clicking here. We’re supported by our more than 66,000 citizen-activists statewide. Your contribution in any amount will go a long waytoward promoting free-market policies at all levels of government – local, state and federal. Thanks!