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Alaska and Tennessee Governors Recognize Wisdom of Expanding Medicaid

Governor Dennis Daugaard is lining up millions of dollars to expand vo-tech scholarships and railroads. He still hasn't announced his willingness to spend a fraction of such money to expand Medicaid.

Alaska's new Independent Governor Bill Walker is not so blind:

...for Walker, it's a no-brainer: Around 40,000 low-income Alaskans would receive health benefits under Medicaid expansion; most of those affected would be childless adults. The federal government would pay 100 percent of the costs until the end of 2016, and after that the state's share would only slowly increase to 10 percent by 2020.

Plus, Walker points out, Alaskans already pay taxes that fund the expansion.

"I always will default back to what is best for Alaskans," he says, "and it's best for Alaskans to have the health care coverage we've already paid for" [Annie Feidt, "Alaska's Governor Eager to Expand Medicaid," NPR, 2014.12.16].

Tennessee's Republican Governor Bill Haslam is at least working with the feds to create a Medicaid expansion alternative:

The plan would provide two private-market choices that would make payments to providers based on outcomes and give participants incentives to take personal responsibility for their health. The goal: to have participants make a transition eventually to commercial health coverage.

The Healthy Incentives Plan would be a redesigned part of the state's Medicaid program. The Volunteer Plan would issue vouchers to be used to offset expenses in the health insurance plans of participants' employers [David Boucher, "Tennessee's GOP Gov to Expand Medicaid Program," USA Today, 2014.12.15].

Alaska's Walker and Tennessee's Haslam join the majority of governors who have figured out that accepting federal dollars to provide more citizens health insurance is a good idea. Governor Daugaard, get off your political high horse and do the right thing.

11 Comments

  1. Nick Nemec 2014.12.17

    The race is on to see which state will be the last holdout.

  2. JeniW 2014.12.17

    It is not going to happen in SD.

  3. Jenny 2014.12.17

    SD has to live up to its reputation of being last in everything, you know.

  4. Nick Nemec 2014.12.17

    JeniW it isn't going to happen in SD for awhile, but it will eventually happen.

  5. JeniW 2014.12.17

    Yes, I agree Nick, but I cannot see it happening during Daugaard's term.

  6. mike from iowa 2014.12.17

    The right of the people to have healthcare versus wingnut's insatiable desire to be cruel to less fortunate people. Wingnuts have won so far

    On the national scene,Congress passed a bill that allows people with disabilities to have tax free bank accounts for education and other stuff(if you have any money to save) offset by more taxcuts for businesses. More debty for Uncle.

  7. JeniW 2014.12.17

    Bill, or is it "Being jerks while driving" LOL :)

  8. Bill Dithmer 2014.12.17

    Jeni, i have seen people reading a book while driving, and jerk. I have seen both women and men put on makeup, and jerk. I have seen lots of people eating , and jerk. And, I have seen jerks that were mad jerk.

    Im wundering what roads in SD are they having the most trouble with people jerking. Would it be the long and winding roads of western South Dakota, or the never ending monotinous roads between corn and bean fields in the east that drives people to jerk?

    I recently read where it takes 5 seconds to read the average text. Thats to damn long even on a straight stretch of these great SD highways and if you should jerk at the same time, it could mean disaster. Multitasking at 75 mph is taking on a whole new dimension if you jerk.

    Did anyone check to see if Janklows pants were zipped?

    Stay alive, dont jerk and drive.

    The Blindman

  9. Deb Geelsdottir 2014.12.17

    Seth Meyers made fun of the Jerk and Drive thing on his late night NBC show Monday. He said SD "yanked" the ads. Hahahaha!

  10. mike from iowa 2014.12.18

    Daisy Duke is from South Dakota? Yummy!!

Comments are closed.