Pragmatism needed on health care reform
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Virginia has been a leader in Medicaid reform, but it will fall behind if it resists a proposed expansion of the insurance program.
In pursuing a transportation deal this winter, Gov. Bob McDonnell dispensed partisan sound bites but planted his feet in the commonwealth’s center, where most of his constituents reside. The result is a pragmatic road and rail package that may not please everyone in his party, but it rewards him with the legacy he sought.
McDonnell now faces a decision with consequences that could overshadow that achievement. A federal plan to expand the Medicaid insurance program to cover low-income workers remains alive in Virginia but its future is murky. The commonwealth is all but certain to delay implementation for six months after other participating states have gotten started next January. There is a danger that Virginia could fall much further behind in providing medical care for the uninsured and pursuing reforms to ensure Medicaid is financially sustainable.
March 4, 2013 - 6:20 AM
“…political ambitions mean little without tangible accomplishments.”
Unless of course you happen to be a community organizer with a D next to your name.
But yes YES let’s expand the “insurance” program called medicaid. (Isn’t insurance something you buy? Do the people on medicaid buy this insurance?)Concurrently, we should expand medicare by lowering the age of eligibility to 55 as well as Social Security. What’s the hold up?
From what I understand, if Medicaid is not expanded that will be one of the factors in businesses getting a penalty for not having “affordable” health insurance for the lower wage workers who would be covered under Medicaid. The care for the indigent has to be paid for somehow. This is not rocket science.
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We need the low wage workers but expecting them to be able to take care of themselves on those wages is greed personified IMO.