Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum Wrote:
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> Five Million Dollars a Day
> Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum
>
http://reston.patch.com/groups/kenneth-r-ken-plums
> -blog/p/five-million-dollars-a-day
>
> Virginia taxpayer dollars not returned to them has
> amounted to five million dollars each day since
> January 1, 2014, and will continue at that rate
> each day that Virginia refuses to expand its
> Medicaid program. In addition, at least 400,000
> working Virginians will continue to be uninsured.
>
> The 2013 session of the General Assembly created
> the Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission
> (MIRC) to consider whether reforms to Virginia's
> Medicaid program were sufficient to allow Virginia
> to proceed with some form of coverage expansion
> through the Affordable Care Act. MIRC members have
> been assured by staff that all requested reforms
> have been made, but the Commission members from
> the House of Delegates have refused to acknowledge
> the reforms and continue along with the Speaker of
> the House of Delegates to oppose expansion of
> Medicaid. For otherwise fiscal conservatives to
> turn down five million dollars of Virginia
> taxpayer dollars being returned to them to pay the
> full cost of Medicaid expansion shows the
> continued animosity that some Republicans have
> toward the Affordable Care Act that they refer to
> as Obamacare. To the concern that the federal
> government will not be able to continue funding
> the program into the future, Virginia could make a
> decision to withdraw at that time.
>
> At the same time, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce
> business plan for the Commonwealth, "Blueprint for
> Virginia," supports the Medicaid reforms that have
> been made and recommends Medicaid expansion.
> Chamber leadership has termed Medicaid expansion
> to be both an economic development as well as a
> workforce issue. Most of Virginia's one million
> uninsured residents are employed. It is projected
> that the expansion would create an estimated
> 33,000 jobs and bring $21 billion dollars back to
> the Commonwealth.
>
> Governor Terry McAuliffe is a staunch supporter of
> Medicaid expansion. As he stated to the Chamber,
> "Let me be clear on one point. If Medicaid
> expansion is not the business community's number
> one priority in your communication with the
> General Assembly, it will not happen." He calls
> for "coming together, putting old ideological
> differences aside and focusing on what makes sense
> from a business perspective."
>
> The case for Medicaid expansion goes beyond the
> strong business case; it is also a humanitarian
> cause. Social justice organizations, faith
> communities, and individuals need also to give
> priority to making their views known to
> legislators. Give priority to writing or calling
> House and Senate leadership and members of the
> House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees
> and ask them to approve the expansion of Medicaid.
> Contact information is available at House and
> Senate members.
>
> Five million dollars a day is a lot of money. It
> is too much to turn down, especially when it can
> improve the health and well-being of Virginians.
> Please make sure your voice is heard on this
> issue.
Medicaid is for deadbeats. I don't want my tax money being spent on the unproductive in society. Get a job that pays more then minimum wage and you won't need Medicaid.