A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.

10 April 2015

Democrats really don’t care how Medicaid is expanded

They care only that eligible people are added to the Medicaid rolls; they’re willing the pay almost any price to do that. Ergo, the waivers from the program intended by the ACA that the Obama administration grants to states under Republican control to allow the program to conform to Republican private enterprise theology.

In Montana, Democrats preferred Gov. Bullock’s Medicaid expansion proposal (HB-249), but they’re willing to accept Republican Sen. Ed Buttrey’s bill (SB-405) that covers 20,000 fewer because they believe that’s the only option left. They may not be happy with some of SB-405’s provisions, but they’re willing to swallow them in the belief that doing so will bring the greatest good to the greatest number. Embracing the Steven Stills approach to reducing cognitive dissonance, they’ve become enthusiastic, uncritical, cheerleaders for Buttrey’s bill. Here’s a sampling from the Twitter hashtag #70000cantwait that should convince everyone that Gov. Bullock will sign Buttrey’s bill without asking for changes:

zach_brown
bullock_maclean
lindeen_bullock

SB-405 is zero-sum legislation. Yes, it helps people by adding them to the Medicaid roll. And it helps hospitals and private insurance companies, institutions that always want more money. But it provides this help by hurting the poorest of the poor with a de facto income tax increase and with onerous asset caps that will force some to choose between Medicaid and keeping their homes. It amounts to transferring wealth from Tiny Tim to Scrooge. It does the least good with the greatest harm. Democrats who are doing victory dances for SB-405 should be ashamed of themselves.