Heartless health care obstacle

Charleston Gazette

Editorial: Heartless health care obstacle

Ruthlessly, various Republican-controlled state governments deny medical coverage to millions of low-income residents. The GOP states refuse to join the Medicaid expansion provided by the Democrat-passed federal Affordable Care Act — an expansion granting health insurance to people earning less than 138 percent of the official poverty level.

This stubborn refusal costs the Republican states vast U.S. funds, because the ACA pays 100 percent of Medicaid expansion cost for the first three years, then 90 percent thereafter. It forces hospitals in those GOP states to suffer big debts for charity care.

A National Public Radio report says the right-wing Legislature in Texas lets more than 1 million lower-income Texans suffer without health insurance, rather than accept the ACA.

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Some businesses in Texas are protesting, because the rejection of federal Medicaid money forces corporations to shoulder more health costs through their taxes.

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Thank heaven, Gov. Tomblin chose to expand Medicaid in West Virginia. Statehouse reporter Eric Eyre noted last month that 190,000 Mountain State residents have gained health insurance through the expansion and other ACA provisions.

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http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150610/GZ04/150619992/1453