It was hard to tell if the message was getting through Saturday morning. IN POLL after poll, the majority of Kansans favor the expansion of Medicaid.
The legislators seemed to keep their attention focused as person after person explained how expanding Medicaid would be of benefit to Kansas.
Georgia Masterson, a longtime caseworker with SRS and now a healthcare Navigator with Thrive Allen County, told of how she has to tell people they don’t qualify for assistance for medical care because of the state’s negligence. Dr. Brian Wolfe said he has patients die because they lack adequate health insurance. Bill Shirley told of the many people in Allen County who are poor and disabled and starving to death because of their dire situations.
The legislators’ response?
Pump up big business with more tax breaks.
In fact, on Tuesday, Rep. Kent Thompson voted to throw out the Affordable Care Act altogether in House Bill 2553 that works to exempt Kansas from having to implement the healthcare act.
Now that’s progress, a state legislator voting to overturn federal law. Obviously, Thompson was wearing his game face at Saturday’s legislative forum.
If enacted, the legislation would allow Kansas to regulate Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded healthcare programs now overseen by the federal government.
Truly scary stuff.
In a state that views the elderly, disabled and poor as pariahs, think what would happen if Kansas had control over Medicare and Medicaid. Goodbye prescription drug benefits, hello tax cuts.
On Tuesday night, the Kansas Senate voted (again) for a permanent ban on the expansion of Medicaid without the express consent of the Legislature.
State Sen. Tyson sided with the Republican majority.
More than anything it was a symbolic gesture and another example of legislators not missing any opportunity to voice opposition to the Affordable Care Act.
The federal health reform law encourages states to expand Medicaid eligibility to include people earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
On Saturday, Tyson said she would start looking into the “Medicaid issue,” and thought a Republican proposal floating in Congress to designate block grants to fund Medicaid expansion sounded like a good idea.
Why should we believe Kansas would accept funding in that form over what is currently proposed?
Our concerns are not being represented in Topeka. In Kansas, democracy is dead.
— Susan Lynn
Democracy just another word for Kansas legislators
