Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) has been under a lot of pressure to provide health care coverage to 242,000 uninsured Louisianans by taking the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. Much of that pressure has come from MoveOn and from Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA). Jindal has responded with this
astoundingly dishonest op-ed in the
Shreveport Times, pointing out liberal "misplaced priorities."
What does MoveOn.org have against individuals with disabilities? […]
[W]hile we’re focused on improving the quality of care provided and reducing waiting lists for persons with disabilities, liberals would rather our state use those resources to participate in Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. Liberal groups like MoveOn.org won’t say one word about caring for individuals with disabilities, or how Obamacare prioritizes coverage of childless adults ahead of the most vulnerable—they just want to intimidate states into accepting Obamacare’s massive new spending programs.
Wow, those are some pretty heartless liberals. Except, of course, that's all bullshit. Don't take my word for it. Here's a
solid takedown from TPM.
According to health policy experts, Obamacare does no such thing. Furthermore, it actually sets up new demonstrations to help improve care for the disabled enrolled in Medicaid—and Jindal should know that because his state has participated in several of them.
Please read below the fold for more on this story.
First and foremost, the Medicaid expansion in Obamacare does nothing to change existing Medicaid programs. That funding and whatever programs states are running under it, is absolutely untouched by expansion. All that expansion does is expand. It brings more people into the program without taking anything away from anyone else. But what it really can do is bring more disabled people into Medicaid—those who have incomes above the current cut-off for coverage, or those who are single and childless and ineligible under existing state Medicaid requirements.
Beyond that, though, there's funding in Obamacare to expand "long-term services and supports" under Medicaid, precisely the programs that help the disabled. What's more, "Jindal should know this because, according to Kaiser's tracking, his state has participated in three of the demonstrations authorized by the law."
So right now, Jindal's administration is running programs through Medicaid to help the disabled, and that was made possible by Obamacare. Maybe Jindal forgot about that. Or maybe Jindal doesn't have any clue what his administration is actually doing. Either way, he's responsible for keeping nearly a quarter of a million people from getting health care. And his reasons for doing so are pure bullshit.