Researching some of the states who had previously refused to expand Medicaid under the Unaffordable Care Act is like reading the same book over and over. They all have benevolent sounding names and have no mention of the phrase MEDICAID EXPANSION because in the eyes of elected officials...what you don't know won't hurt you...
Reading through the different links, I even heard a similar phrase that a particular Shelby County Commissioner used during a meeting when fretting about not wanting to pass a resolution of support for expanding Medicaid in Tn to Governor Haslam...saying "I don't like this anymore than you do and I'm just trying to make lemonade out of lemons".
Wow...does the Republican Governor's Association have a journolisting group? (Go here if you don't know what journolisting is). There are talking points for states that need to snow their voters into thinking they are not expanding Medicaid when in the truth is they are expanding medicaid and ALL the "Republican" governors are using them.
Some common words and phrases you will hear from Republican Governors trying to put lipstick on a (Medicaid Expansion) pig....
- Free market solution (Hmmm Medicaid & free market are polar opposites)
- Personal responsiblity (by taking taxes paid by others for your benefit?)
- Personal accountability (HOW? THERE IS NEVER ANY ACCOUNTABILITY)
- Conservative approach (Jeb Bush Conservative maybe)
- State specific (It's Tennessee specific, it's unique to Tn, created by Pennsylvania for Pennsylvania) you get the idea...
- Market-based Alternative (this would require the government getting the HE!! out of the way, that isn't happening for the foreseeable future)
Florida.....A Healthy Florida Works Proponents have presented the plan as a “free market” solution that promotes “personal accountability”
Tennessee....INSURE TN Insure Tennessee, as introduced in concept, promotes personal responsibility and helps control the overall cost of healthcare in Tennessee by introducing private market principles to Medicaid.
Indiana....Healthy Indiana 2.0 State can begin covering our uninsured working poor the Indiana way, based on personal responsiblity and consumer-driven health care," Pence said.
Pennsylvania....Healthy PA plan that was created in Pennsylvania, for Pennsylvania - a plan that would allow us to reform a financially unsustainable Medicaid program and increase access to health care for eligible individuals through the private market...
Michigan....Healthy Michigan patient-centered healthcare plan that would allow us to capitalize on our free market system and provide better quality, less expensive healthcare to Michigan’s residents while boosting our economy
Utah.....Healthy Utah Governor Herbert apparently thinks he can play the same games that were used in Arkansas, spinning his Medicaid expansion as a “market-based alternative” instead of a broadening of ObamaCare.
Idaho.....Medicaid Redesign Redesign Medicaid, lower the burden on Idaho taxpayers, provide health care coverage to 150,000 Idahoans and save $85 million by eliminating county and state programs that care for a small fraction of indigent patients, expand the care for the mentally ill, and create a more efficient, effective Medicaid program.