Sahil Kapur has the list of Republican governors who are already declaring they’ll refuse the Medicaid expansion offered under Obamacare.
It might make for good politics for those governors at the moment, but Jonathan Cohn has a good reminder that poor and disabled people are not the only beneficiaries of Medicaid; it’s a big boost to hospitals, too:
[S]tate officials who refuse Medicaid funding are going to get an earful from hospital lobbyists, whose facilities will end up seeing many of these patients regardless of their insurance status. The Medicaid dollars are the hospitals’ best chance to recoup funding for charity care, particularly at a time when they are adjusting to payment reductions designed to push them into more efficiency. Keep in mind that hospital executives are typically among the most influential advocates in state politics. They have
strong ties to elite circles and represent a huge economic interest. In many cities, hospitals and hospital systems are the top employers.
Very good point.
