While the Veterans Administration healthcare scandal is indeed a cause for bipartisan outrage, there's another scandal that should have even more people up in arms: the nearly five million Americans who are being purposefully left uninsured out of political spite. That number includes many veterans who aren't eligible for or don't have access to care through the VA, and who live in states where the Republican governors and/or legislatures are refusing to expand Medicaid under Obamacare. Ezra Klein
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Some of those states that are most adamantly opposed to using Obamacare to provide coverage to more people have the highest number of veterans who are left out: Texas has 48,900 uninsured veterans; North Carolina 23,300; Kansas 35,700; and Florida 12,300. That's in addition to the tens and hundreds of thousands of other people in these states who are too poor to qualify for subsidies on the health exchanges, but make too much to qualify for the states' Medicaid systems.
There's just one reason for this: politics. In the case of the VA scandal, it's an often overwhelmed system with stretched resources. That doesn't lessen the seriousness of the extended wait times some veterans are experiencing, or the consequences of their not receiving timely care. But the fact that 250,000 veterans don't have access to
care—only because lawmakers hate President Obama—should be at least as big a political scandal.
Go below the fold for more information on how many individuals and how many veterans are being denied care in the individual states that are refusing Medicaid expansion.
Here's the status of the uninsured, including veterans, in the non-expansion states:
Alabama: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 272,000 poor Alabamans with comprehensive health insurance, including 13,000 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Alaska: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 30,000 poor Alaskans with comprehensive health insurance, including 2,400 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Florida: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 1,212,000 poor Floridians with comprehensive health insurance, including 12,300 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Georgia: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 599,000 poor Georgians with comprehensive health insurance, including 24,900 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Idaho: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 86,000 poor Idahoans with comprehensive health insurance, including 3,800 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Indiana: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 291,000 poor Indianians with comprehensive health insurance, including 13,700 veterans. Thus far, the state hasn't moved forward, but they're entering into negotiations with the Obama administration to do so soon.
Kansas: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 126,000 poor Kansans with comprehensive health insurance, including 35,700 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Louisiana: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 363,000 poor Louisianans with comprehensive health insurance, including 9,900 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Maine: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 38,000 poor Mainers with comprehensive health insurance, including 2,700 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Mississippi: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 203,000 poor Mississippians with comprehensive health insurance, including 7,100 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Missouri: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 283,000 poor Missourians with comprehensive health insurance, including 12,800 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Montana: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 63,000 poor Montanans with comprehensive health insurance, including 4,000 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Nebraska: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 56,000 poor Idahoans with comprehensive health insurance, including 2,100 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
North Carolina: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 511,000 poor Idahoans with comprehensive health insurance, including 23,300 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Oklahoma: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 201,000 poor Oklahomans with comprehensive health insurance, including 10,000 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Pennsylvania: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 454,000 poor Pennsylvanians with comprehensive health insurance, including 19,100 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
South Carolina: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 289,000 poor South Carolinians with comprehensive health insurance, including 13,000 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
South Dakota: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 40,000 poor South Dakotans with comprehensive health insurance, including 1,600 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Tennessee: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 266,000 poor Tennesseans with comprehensive health insurance, including 15,800 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Texas: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 1,727,000 poor Texans with comprehensive health insurance, including 48,900 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Utah: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 93,000 poor Utahns with comprehensive health insurance, including 3,800 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Virginia: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 313,000 poor Virginians with comprehensive health insurance, including 12,300 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Wisconsin: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 53,000 poor Wisconsinites with comprehensive health insurance, including 6,400 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.
Wyoming: Obamacare's Medicaid expansion would provide 27,000 poor Wyomingites with comprehensive health insurance, including 1,200 veterans. But the state has refused to let the expansion go forward.