One of Obamacare’s biggest dirty little secrets is that in both the House and Senate versions of the bill, over half of those who gain health insurance do so through Medicaid. Both bills force more people who are currently eligible for Medicaid to enroll–and the states would be left to pick up the tab without any additional federal funding. For states already on the brink of insolvency, Obamacare will be a financial disaster unless they can all secure deals like the one Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) secured for Nebraska.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger railed against the Cornhusker Kickback in his State of the State Address last night. Watch:
Schwarzenegger says:
And now Congress is about to pile billions more onto California with the new health care bill. Now, as you know, while I enthusiastically supported health care reform, it is not reform to push more costs onto states that are already struggling while other states are getting sweetheart deals. Health care reform, which started as noble and needed legislation, has become a trough of bribes, deals and loopholes. Yet you’ve heard of the bridge to nowhere. Well, this is health care to nowhere.
California’s congressional delegation should either vote against this bill that is a disaster for California or get in there and fight for the same sweetheart deal that Senator Nelson of Nebraska got for the Cornhusker State. (Applause) Because that senator got for the Cornhusker State the corn and we got the husk.
The only reason Medicaid carries such a heavy load under Obamacare is because the Congressional Budget Office scores it as an inexpensive way too expand health insurance coverage. Part of the reason is that states pick up part of the tab. But the other reason is that Medicaid does not provide ideal health care. That is why single payer advocates push for “Medicare for All” not “Medicaid for All” … which is what Obamacare may actually deliver.
Go here to see a larger, printable PDF of the chart.
