{"id":1158,"date":"2009-10-07T13:15:57","date_gmt":"2009-10-07T17:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/?p=1158"},"modified":"2009-10-07T13:29:01","modified_gmt":"2009-10-07T17:29:01","slug":"democrat-governors-states-cant-handle-financial-burden-of-forced-medicaid-expansion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/1158\/democrat-governors-states-cant-handle-financial-burden-of-forced-medicaid-expansion\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrat Governors: States Can’t Handle Financial Burden of Forced Medicaid Expansion"},"content":{"rendered":"

CFIF has written about<\/a> and commented on<\/a> the crushing blow that forced expansion of Medicaid, as called for in the health care reform bills making their way through Congress, will have on state budgets.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t take our word for it.\u00a0 Here is what Democrat Governors are saying about the issue, as compiled by the Senate Republican Communications Center<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Dem <\/strong>Health Care Angst Beyond The Beltway<\/strong><\/p>\n

Democrat Governors Say Their States Can\u2019t Shoulder Burden Of New Democrat Health Care Mandates<\/em><\/p>\n

GOV. TED STRICKLAND (D-OH):<\/span><\/strong> \u201cThe States, With Our Financial Challenges Right Now, Are Not In A Position To Accept Additional Medicaid Responsibilities.\u201d <\/strong>\u201cStill, Strickland warned on a recent visit to Washington that \u2018the states, with our financial challenges right now, are not in a position to accept additional Medicaid responsibilities.\u2019 Strickland said that he wants \u2018a health-care package that is inclusive and provides for all citizens,\u2019 but he added that if Medicaid is expanded, he hopes to \u2018see the federal government assume the greater portion of the costs, if not the total costs.\u2019\u201d (\u201cExpansion Of Medicaid Could Impose Costs On Ohio,\u201d Columbus Dispatch<\/em>, 10\/7\/09)<\/a><\/p>\n

GOV. JOHN LYNCH (D-NH):<\/span><\/strong> Did Not Sign A Letter Supporting Health Care Reform Because It Failed To \u201cAddress Concerns Regarding Potential Cost Shifting To The States.\u201d <\/strong>\u201cLast week, Democratic governors sent a letter to congressional leaders proclaiming that \u2018the status quo is no longer an option\u2019 and urging passage of a healthcare bill this year. Six Democratic governors did not sign the letter for various reasons. In the case of New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, he did not sign because the letter failed to \u2018address concerns regarding potential cost shifting to the states,\u2019 said Colin Manning, a spokesman for the governor. \u2018And this concern has been shared by a number of governors that Gov. Lynch has spoken to across the country,\u2019 Manning said.\u201d (\u201cObama Finds Support Outside Party And Washington For Healthcare Plan,\u201d Los Angeles Times<\/em>, 10\/7\/09)<\/a><\/p>\n

GOV. PHIL BREDESEN (D-TN):<\/span><\/strong> \u201cMy Guess Is That Most Other States Would Face A Similarly Painful Situation If These Costs Are Passed Down.\u201d <\/strong>\u201cIn his letter to Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Bredesen also urged the senator and his fellow lawmakers to temper down their proposed changes to the low-income healthcare entitlement — an expansion Corker later described as an \u2018unfunded mandate\u2019 that could overburden states at a time when many are struggling to manage the recession. \u2018My guess is that most other states would face a similarly painful situation if these costs are passed down,\u2019 Corker explained in his own statement on Tuesday.\u201d (\u201cTenn. Gov Bredesen: Medicaid Expansion Could Cost State Millions,\u201d The Hill<\/em>\u2019s \u201cBriefing Room\u201d Blog, 10\/6\/09)<\/a><\/p>\n

Govs. Mike Beebe (D-AR), Jay Nixon (D-MO), Bev Perdue (D-NC), John Lynch (D-NH) And Dave Freudenthal (D-WY) Held Out From Signing A Letter On Health Care Reform With Other Democrat Governors. <\/strong>\u201cIt’s a standard letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Boehner, telling them states \u2018will only achieve the health care security and stability they need if we succeed in working together with the Congress and the President to achieve health care reform.\u2019 But missing from the signatures at the bottom are six governors: Mike Beebe (AR), Jay Nixon (MO), Bev Perdue (NC), John Lynch (NH), Dave Freudenthal (WY) and Brad Henry (OK).\u201d (\u201cSix Dem Governors Hold Out On Health Care Letter,\u201d TPMDC, 10\/5\/09)<\/a><\/p>\n

GOV. DAVE FREUDENTHAL (D-WY):<\/span><\/strong>\u201cFreudenthal Said Expanding Medicaid May Be A Quick Way To Get Coverage For The Uninsured, But It’s Far From The Most Cost- Effective Or Efficient.<\/strong>He added that any health-reform plans must include steps to hold down costs. \u2018That’s why I think you find governors interested in cost savings, reform and wellness activities,\u2019 Freudenthal said. \u2026 \u2018You know, you only have so much money, and this is the basic math: If you have 47 million people who don’t have coverage in the country, and your goal is to get coverage for those people, you can’t come to us and say that it’s not going to cost society anything.\u2019\u201d (\u201cMedicaid Expansion May Be Budget Buster,\u201d Wyoming Tribune Eagle<\/em>, 7\/27\/09)<\/a><\/p>\n

GOV. BEV PERDUE (D-NC):<\/span><\/strong> \u201cThe Absolute Deal Breaker For Me As Governor Is A Federal Plan That Shifts Costs To The States.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cWe are all hungry for a solution, but the absolute deal breaker for me as governor is a federal plan that shifts costs to the states.\u201d (\u201cPerdue: Don’t Give States The Bill,\u201d [Raleigh, NC] News & Observer<\/em>, 7\/21\/09)<\/a><\/p>\n

GOV. ED RENDELL (D-PA):<\/span><\/strong> \u201cI Don\u2019t Think It\u2019s An Accounting Trick, I Think It\u2019s An Unfunded Mandate \u2026 We Just Don\u2019t Have The Wherewithal To Absorb That Without Some New Revenue Source \u2026\u201d<\/strong> (CNBC\u2019s \u201cSquawk Box,\u201d 9\/3\/09)<\/strong><\/p>\n

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D-NM):<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 \u201cWe Can\u2019t Afford That, And That\u2019s Not Acceptable.\u201d <\/strong>(\u201cGovs Resist Added Federal Expenses From Congress,\u201d The Associated Press<\/em>, 7\/19\/09)<\/a><\/p>\n

GOV. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE (D-WA):<\/span><\/strong> \u201cAs A Governor, My Concern Is That If We Try To Cost-Shift To The States We\u2019re Not Going To Be In A Position To Pick Up The Tab.\u201d <\/strong>(\u201cGovernors Fear Medicaid Costs In Health Plan,\u201d The New York Times<\/em>, 7\/20\/09)<\/a><\/p>\n

GOV. BILL RITTER (D-CO):<\/span><\/strong> \u201cOur Only Point Was That A Significant Medicaid Expansion Should Not Operate As An Unfunded Mandate For The States.\u201d <\/strong>(\u201cRitter Fears Federal Expenses May Hit Colorado,\u201d The Denver Post<\/em>, 7\/20\/09)<\/a><\/p>\n

GOV. BRIAN SCHWEITZER (D-MT):<\/span><\/strong> \u201cThe Governors Are Concerned About Unfunded Mandates, Another Situation Where The Federal Government Says You Must Do X And You Must Pay For It.<\/strong> Well if they want to reform health care, they should figure out what the rules are and how they are going to pay for it.\u201d (\u201cMany Governors Against Health Care Bill, Label It Unfunded Mandate,\u201d Fox News, 7\/19\/09)<\/a><\/p>\n

GOV. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV):<\/span><\/strong> \u201cThey Thought The Best Way, The Federal Government Thought The Best Way Is By Expanding Medicaid To Make That Happen. But We Have Said, \u2018Under No Conditions Can We Take Unfunded Mandates.\u2019<\/strong> You can’t raise the eligibility of Medicaid 133% and put a $100 billion back on the states to pick up.\u201d (\u201cGovernor Manchin Joins Counterparts In Mississippi,\u201d [West Virginia] Metro News<\/em>, 7\/20\/09)<\/a><\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

SENATE<\/strong> REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER<\/strong>
\n202.228.NEWS<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CFIF has written about and commented on the crushing blow that forced expansion of Medicaid, as called for in the health care reform bills making their way through Congress, will have on state budgets. But don\u2019t take our word for it.\u00a0 Here is what Democrat Governors are saying about the issue, as compiled by the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[250,12,232,234],"class_list":["post-1158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-posts","tag-governors","tag-health-care","tag-medicaid","tag-state-budgets"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1158"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1163,"href":"https:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1158\/revisions\/1163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cfif.org\/v\/freedom_line_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}