AND
AND ONE
AND ONE DAY AWAY FROM ELECTION DAY. A HOT ITEM ON THE
BALLOT, PROP 2, THE
VOTER INITIATIVE TO
EXPAND MEDICADE IN
IDAHO.
TONIGHT OUR JOE PARRIS
VERFIES THE CLAIMS
MADE ON A NEW AD IN
SUPPORT OF PROP 2.
"EVERY
"EVERY YEAR $400 MILLION DOLLARS OF OUR
TAX
TAX DOLLARS GOES TO WASHINGTON D.C., AND EVERY YEAR WASHINGTON
SENDS THOSE DOLLARS
TO OTHER STATES, YOUR
TAX DOLLARS TO PAY FOR
THEIR HEALTH CARE"
THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT COLLECTS
TAXES FROM EVERY STATE,
AND THEN USES THAT
MONEY TO PAY FOR
FEDERAL PROGRAMS.
ONE OF THOSE
PROGRAMS IS MEDICAID,
WHICH HAS NOT BEEN
EXPANDED IN IDAHO. THE
STATES THAT HAVE
EXPANDED MEDICAID
COVERAGE, DO GET
EXTRA FEDERAL FUNDS
FOR
FOR THE
FOR THE PROGRAM, BUT THEY ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY GETTING
IDAHO'S MONEY.
THE CONGRESSIONAL
RESEARCH CENTER
CLARIFIED THIS IN 2015
SAYING
"IF A STATE DOESN'T
IMPLEMENT
IMPLEMENT THE ACA MEDICAID EXPANSION, THE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT
WOULD HAVE BEEN
USED FOR THAT STATE'S
EXPANSION ARE NOT
BEING SENT TO ANOTHER
STATE. THERE IS NOT A SET
AMOUNT OF FEDERAL
FUNDING FOR MEDICAID.
EACH STATES GETS THE
FEDERAL FUNDING
NECESSARY FOR THEIR
MEDICAID PROGRAM."
SO, WHILE IDAHO IS
CONTRIBUTING TO
OVERALL FEDERAL
FUNDING, OTHER STATES
ARE NOT GETTING ANY
EXTRA MONEY FOR
MEDICAID PROGRAMS
MEDICAID PROGRAMS
JUST
JUST BECAUSE IDAHO HASN'T OPTED IN "BUT THERE IS AN IDAHO
SOLUTION THAT WOULD
CHANGE THAT,
PROPOSITION 2, IT WOULD
BRING OUR TAX DOLLARS
BACK TO IDAHO."
IF IDAHO PASSES
MEDICAID EXPANSION,
THEN YES, IDAHO WOULD
GET MORE FEDERAL
MONEY EVERY YEAR TO
FUND THE PROGRAM.
FOR EXAMPLE,
ACCORDING TO A REPORT
FOR THE IDAHO
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELFARE DONE BY MILLIMAN, INC....IN THE
FIRST FULL YEAR OF
MEDICAID EXPANSION,
IDAHO WOULD GET
AROUND 370 MILLION
DOLLARS EXTRA IN
FEDERAL FUNDING FOR
MEDICAID.
THAT IS WHAT THAT 400
MILLION DOLLAR FIGURE
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
AD IS REFERENCING.
THE
THE FIRST
THE FIRST YEAR WOULDN'T HIT 400 MILLION, BUT BY 2030,
THAT FUNDING IS
PROJECTED TO BE ABOUT
527 MILLION DOLLARS.
"AND EXPAND MEDICAID
TO TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF HARD WORKING
IDAHOANS."
WE CAN VERIFY THAT YES,
THE EXPANSION OF
MEDICAID WOULD OPEN
UP HEALTH INSURANCE TO
THE ABOUT 70 THOUSAND
PEOPLE THAT FALL INTO
THE SO CALLED,
"COVERAGE GAP."
THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO
CURRENTLY MAKE TOO
MUCH MONEY TO
THE SO CALLED,
"COVERAGE GAP."
THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO
CURRENTLY MAKE TOO
MUCH MONEY TO
QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID,
BUT TOO LITTLE TO
QUALIFY FOR HEALTHCARE
SUBSIDIES.
"HELP OUR RURAL
HOSPITALS, CREATE JOBS,
AND BRING OUR TAX
DOLLARS BACK."
ACCORDING TO A REPORT
DONE BY GEORGETOWN
UNIVERSITY, THE
EXPANSION OF MEDICAID
COULD HELP IMPROVE THE
QUALITY AND
AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH
CARE IN RURAL AREAS
AND SMALL TOWNS.
IDAHO IS MENTIONED BY
NAME IN THAT STUDY.
ACCORDING TO THE
REPORT, FEWER
UNINSURED PEOPLE,
WHICH MEDICAID
EXPANSION WOULD
ACCOMPLISH, WOULD
TYPICALLY TRANSLATE TO
A MORE STABLE HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM.
CARE SYSTEM.
THAT
THAT MEANS MORE PEOPLE WOULD BE ALE TO GET PRIMARY AND
PREVENTATIVE CARE.
IN ADDITION, THE REPORT
SAYS MEDICAID
EXPANSION WOULD SAVE
RURAL HOSPITALS MONEY
BY CUTTING DOWN ON
THE AMOUNT OF UNPAID
BILLS FROM PEOPLE WHO
CAN'T AFFORD
TREATMENT.
IN TERMS OF CREATING
JOBS, THE AD CITES A
PRIVATE CONSULTATION
REPORT DONE BY STEVEN
PETERSON A CLINICAL
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF
ECONOMICS AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO.
ACCORDING TO
PETERSON'S STUDY AND
EXPLANATION, FEDERAL
DOLLARS SUPPORTING
MEDICAID EXPANSION
REPRESENT NEW MONIES
COMING INTO IDAHO'S
ECONOMY WHICH
CREATES ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY SUPPORTING
NEW JOBS, NEW
SPENDING BY INDIVIDUALS
AND
ORGANIZATIONS,AND
AND ORGANIZATIONS,AND NEW TAX REVENUE.
THAT CLAIM IS TOUGH TO
VERIFY SINCE IT IS BASED
ON ECONOMIC
PROJECTIONS, BUT IT
COULD VERY WELL
HAPPEN.
ONLY TIME CAN TELL.
WE REACHED OUT TO
OPPONENTS OF PROP 2
FOR COMMENT ON THE
NEW AD.
A SPOKESPERSON FOR
THE IDAHO FREEDOM
FOUNDATION SAID IN
PART,
QUOTE - "SIMPLY PUT:
IDAHOANS' MONEY ISN'T
BEING SPENT BY OTHER
STATES BECAUSE IDAHO
DIDN'T EXPAND
OBAMACARE. WHENEVER
A NEW STATE EXPANDS
MEDICAID, THE MONEY
COMES FROM DEBT
SPENDING, NOT STATES
THAT DIDN'T EXPAND."
"THE SUPPORTERS OF
PROPOSITION 2 HAVE
BUILT THEIR WHOLE AD
CAMPAIGN ON A LIE.
EVERY STATE THAT
EXPANDS OBAMACARE
DOES SO BY ADDING TO
THE NATIONAL DEBT."
ENDQUOTE