Scott Walker’s cruel lie: health insurance for $19 a month

Source: Cap Times editorial

Scott Walker’s cruel lie: health insurance for $19 a month

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker listens to a question while speaking with media about his proposed reforms to Medicaid, unemployment compensation and food stamps after speaking at Business Day in Madison, an event with Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce at Monona Terrace on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013.

The governor has announced plans to make it dramatically harder for low-income Wisconsinites to get access to health care. He is literally turning down billions of dollars in federal money to expand BadgerCare, the state’s health insurance program for the unemployed and working poor, and other Medicaid programs.

And he is claiming that his move will help 224,580 Wisconsinites find coverage while cutting the state’s uninsured population by 47 percent.

Before speaking at a GOP Lincoln Day Dinner, according to the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, the governor said he is rejecting federal support for expanding access to Medicare because: “It empowers people to go in the private sector and find affordable health care options.”

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/opinion/edi...

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/opinion/edi...

RAF calling out the D's on the issue of consistencey? That's rich.

;-)
I called it out for what it was.

Again republican math does not add up HELLO

I don't really have an opinion one way or another on this. I"m not inclined to think Walker has made a very wise decision, but that's just based on past experiences. I haven't looked into this one much.
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anyway, does anyone else find it funny that doctors and other hospital groups are always quoted as saying Medicare is unfair and it artificially holds prices lower, so they have to "make it up" by charging others more, and now they're complaining that Medicaid isn't being expanded?? A program that pays even less than Medicare, and they say it needs to be exapnded?
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I supposed too many are too busy arguing about repub this and liberal that to pay attention to much else, but it's something that seems odd to me.

Even the Wisconsin Hospital Association asked Walker to take the $12 BIlLION DOLLARS over a ten year period. They knew that it would also ADD more than 10,000 health care jobs. Plus it would have saved costs for hospitals.

a n d -----> Yes - It's time for the Paul Ryan Flip Flop & FULL FLOP Award to Paul Ryan.

Politifact

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/stat...

The stupid Math by Scott Walker...
He claims that if we do it with the Feds. - It will cost us over $400 million over ten years.
The Walker option --> The people of WI will have to cover $650 MILLION DOLLARS over the nest TWO years with his way. OMG

Walker continues to play politics with the lives of people. Keep in mind -
"$650 MILLION DOLLARS - ADDITIONAL MONEY STATE TAXPAYERS WOULD HAVE TO PUT INTO MEDICAID BECAUSE OF RISING COSTS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS"
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepoliti...

Hey Walker Lemmings - Hope you enjoy the extra money that WE all will have to come up with. Such a FOOLISH man and it is obvious now that besides dropping out of school --> he lacks compassion and empathy towards those in need.

Finally, a politician with guts and common sense.
The PC, "do gooder", teeth gnashing, hand wringing, moaning left wing nuts are once again squealing like stuck pigs. Perhaps they should squeal en masse at the Clocktower in Rockford?

mabuse....so you want to be like Illinois? Looked at their condition lately. They are so in debt they will likely claim bankruptcy soon. Illinois is one of 11 states that has more people on welfare than they do employed people. They rank near the bottom in almost every category. Wisconsin has its problems but thank God we are not Illinois! And we are on the right track. Liberals think every program the Feds hand out like candy is wonderful until it comes time for reality to set in and the state has to pony up the money to keep it going.

Some of the reasons we are in debt is a bloated military and a couple of unnecessary wars. While we can't get the money back from the wars, we can reduce some military expenditures. We will pay for poor people's health care in one way or another. The idea that poor people are all slackers is a conservative myth. Maybe we could make the military pay for their pensions and health care, like scooter did our state employees. I'm sure RAF would agree with me on that.

LOL, not spending fed money is throwing it away...is it any wonder this country is TRILLIONS in debt.

Mr Smarty threw away all our Fed $ and jobs to keep us from having railroads, which then went to Illinois etc; and now this, despite all the urging from health care authorities.

When did Wis have such a cruel, clueless clown for guv?

The left fringe is funny. First they complain Walker wasn't going to expand the program, covering more people. Now they complain about the way he did EXACTLY what they wanted in the first place. The fact they have no consistency of positions is quickly becoming OLD NEWS.

Just an fyi... unisured childless adults covered by the badgercare core program only pay $60 a year as a processing fee and must be under $1915 gross a month. The disturbing part is disabled and elderly individuals have to gross under $591.67 a month to be eligible for medical assistance. Ebery year the amount of money a non-disabled person came make to be eligible goes up while the income limits for the elderly and disabled has not changed in at least 6+ years. I am disapointed in the state of wisconsin as they allow able bodied individuals more/easier access to healthcare than they would to an elderly or disabled individual. Explain that scooter. I say do not allow more childless, able bodied individuals to receive welfare (fyi it is not called insurance, it is medical assistance/welfare) and allow disabled and elderly individuals on a fixed income access to affordable medicaid.

Well the people of Wisconsin have spoken. Not much that can be done about it now. Thank God I got extra coverage on my health insurance. Why because I had a feeling something like this would happen.

I don't often browse the comments but when I do, I can count on the same nuts attacking each other with their own party rhetoric.

I think we can all agree that we end up paying for uninsured people in the end anyway. It would have been nice to get some of these folks on preventative care and prescriptions that could prevent big, expensive, long term illnesses. But the people of Wisconsin have spoken.

off topic, but life is good for Wisconsin GOP (and I'm not referring to Johnson votes against women): “a history of abusive behavior in our workplace that has escalated from tantrums and rages, to threats, and now to physical contact.”

Bae--looks like you need to take your own advice and "get over it" as well! You are aware that Walker won twice too....aren't you??

Does it make you feel superior to post twice with name calling?

wisnut: get over it. Obama won twice. And our Kenyan socialist president has the Dow Jones average near record highs. Oh wait...socialist...your mistake.

When did Romney have anything to do with Walker and the Medicaid decision?

Get over it, you just can not stand it that Walker won...twice. He is doing what he was elected to do, and that is to look out for all taxpayers. He has a budget to deal with, unlike the "ONE", who is busy preparing for another vacation this weekend.

Wislady you will never get it. Romney lost lost lost, because his math did not add up. You post crap in your own words and NEVER a true link to back it. People like you and other that post such heartless stuff, need to live without just to see what others really go through. Walkers refusal to help those, that he LOOKS at, as do some you as less then, Are sickening and cold blooded. This has not a damn thing to do with helping Wisconsin and you cannot see the truth of this hateful liar because your heads are to far buried in the lala land of those you support. 916wi here is your answer, Wisconsin’s hospitals and many medical and health advocacy groups had urged Walker to accept the *federal money to pay for the expansion of services.* Why don't you that seem to believe all your liars say, go to True news and links that may help you see the truth, as you sure the hell are blind to it, by your comments. 2014 the GOP will reap the rath of what they sew....

Wrong move again, Scooter.
Commit to the first three years fully paid and then assess. Save us the 66 million over 3 years and ALSO help 250K WI folks! Half or more of them are Republicans, ya know!

"He says the net effect would insure 224,580 more people."

The net effect is that 7% of non-elderly adults will remain uninsured.

Childless adults on Food Stamps...mandatory job training, or working, to continue to get benefits. It's about time.

So Walker thinks making the rest of us in Wisconsin paying more in taxes is a good thing?Then he trys to convince people that adding more to people to Badgercare, (the takers and moochers) as his Tea party calls them is also a good thing?..Wow

Obamacare is not the same as the program Romney started. Do a little comparison and fact checking, but here are a few points.

Obamacare
2000 pages
Regulates entire HC industry
Cuts Medicare
Gives Medicaid to NON-poor
Enforced by the IRS
16% of US still uninsured
11% of children still uninsured

RomneyCare
70 pages
Does NOT regulate HC industry
Does NOT cut Medicare
Enforced by Mass Health
1.8 of MA sill uninsured
0.2 of MA children uninsured

Why aren't people getting upset at all the fraud and abuse of the Medicaid system? If you know someone abusing the system, report it. Then, more will be available for people who really need help.

Take ins. away from those elected to office

$125 cost per person in the state, if I calculated right.

Walker is going to spend $644 million over 2 years, to save what? Nothing lol. It's a loss over 2 years of 644 + 60 million from the feds. He must have never taken a math class in high school.
Meantime, my insurance has to pay for Reagan's mandate that anyone who shows up at an emergency room has to be treated. So I subsidize illegal immigrants etc. by paying more.
The original mandated health care for employees was for sailors, back around 1800.
Obamacare was a GOP idea, implemented by Romney in Mass.
How the heck does the GOP spin in circles so fast? I wish Obama would appoint Romney to a cabinet position, just to watch Republicans heads to explode.

yada.....it's nice to see that you're back to posting the "think progress" links.......do you have your tin foil hat on:)

"Latest figures from the Congressional Budget Office"
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Too funny! The latest figures?!? It seems as though they revise their figures and projections dramatically every other month!

+1--6824......It's comical to see some of the brain dead toss around insults like "fool" and "coward" while having no qualms regarding spending money that isn't there. It would have been easy to come out and truly be a fool or a coward and just finance "free" health care for everyone, not worrying about charging it off on future generations. I guess their definition of these insults differ from those who actually possess a brain?

for you morons that think this is stupid, think about all the elderly that live on social sercurity which cost atleast $100/month and pays little and drug program cost atleast $30/month which pays very little. thats $130 right off the top of their sc check and still have to pay tax on that. i agree alot of people just use the system but is that the fault of the people who really needs help. i personally know of a 34 year old guy, nothing wrong with him and is on disabilty, he gets $900/month plus food stamps has no kids and lives with his parents. these are the people you should be angry at.

I'm just laughing at the GOP idiots posting here. You do realize Walker's program will cost taxpayers $644 million? Paid I bet to his friends, but that's a guess. Let's see, Obamacare will save $66 nillion over next 3 years, and then the bills come due supposedly. After that, over 4 years, it'll cost $133 million. So for the next 7 years, we lose $550 million.
Oh, and it's likely worse. Latest figures from the Congressional Budget Office shows a drastic cut back in the growth of medical expenses. They even admitted that the drop was not due to the recession, but due to Obamacare.
Koolaid is thataway beside Rush and Fox ===>

Walker the man is from Uranus or some other distant planet that does not recognize the needs of the people.
The sites below will share some of the Walker thinking and the money behind his extreme agenda.

"How John Birch Extremism Never Dies - The Fortune Behind SCOTT WALKER'S Union Busting Campaign"

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/0...

"ALEC in WI - The HIJACKING Of A State"

http://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/05/1151...

"Political Activities Of The Koch Brothers"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_a...

"SCOTT WALKER - Right Wing Watch"

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/category/p...

Wasp....Where would the money come to fund the expansion? I'm sure with the labels you throw around that you must be super smart. Is there a slush fund overflowing with money that the Federal government uses to fund these entitlements? Surely they wouldn't be reckless enough to charge off new, massive entitlement expense to an already huge national debt......

916WI - Most of the people on this site must not pay federal taxes, they seem to think federal money comes from the welfare fairy

The fool strikes again. When the repubs are consigned to histories dust bin, scooter and lyin' ryan will be some of the people held most responsible. I just hope the state I love, will have something left to recover. Shame on these cowards.

I would like to ask all those who speak out against this decision a quick question. Where would the money have come from to fund the Medicaid expansion? I thought the country was facing trillion dollar deficits and a national debt nearing $17 trillion dollars. Surely we're not adding to that by funding these entitlements....are we?

Really another 224,580 signed up for welfare!! What is he thinking!

Another case of the 'haves' deciding what the 'have nots' will not have. If he had a conscience, he'd be ashamed; however, I realize that's a rare trait amongst many of my R 'friends'.

The hate of the poor people has to stop and Walker needs to be charged when the ones he denies healthcare to, Die as he is to BLAME. I am not one that has hate but the more this Idiot does to this state the more I lean towards HATE OF him and the likes of him!!!

"Free money" isn't free.