Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Liberals Pretzeled Logic on N.C. Medicaid Expansion





Sometimes, you have to laugh at liberals’ pretzeled logic.  You don’t have to venture far, just pick up your local newspaper and read the op-ed section.  You’ll find some nonsense that’ll blow coffee out of your nose. 

The op-ed, to which I refer, was written by the president of the Cone Health Foundation and the interim president/vice president of programs at the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust.  They funded a study that was conducted by unnamed “nonpartisan” university researchers who “surprisingly” came to the conclusion that confiscating tax dollars to expand Medicaid is good for the local economy.  Who’d a thunk it!  I’m sure all parties involved are disinterested philanthropist.

Progressives have been trying to coerce North Carolina lawmakers into expanding Medicaid since the implementation of this Obamacare fiasco.  Their contention is the fabled, “welfare creates jobs and economic growth” canard.  Frederic Bastiat debunked this kind of logic over 150 years ago with his “broken windows” maxim.  In this case, substitute the healthcare industry for window glaziers and you’d have an apt description of what’s happening in the Old North State, or for that fact the country.





And who will benefit from Medicaid expansion?  Here is an excerpt:

It is important to understand North Carolina’s current Medicaid coverage policy – you must be a low-income child, a pregnant woman, an extremely low-income parent, a low-income senior or a person with a disability to qualify for Medicaid in North Carolina. Who gets left out? Adults who don’t have children, no matter how low their incomes are. These are people we all know and rely on every day: people working for a living in construction and food service, people taking care of our children.


The people, who fit this criterion, in most cases, are illegal aliens.  Anyone who happens upon a construction site, or gazes around a restaurant will notice a lot of people who barely speak English.  It’s no secret.  And for those who claim illegal aliens aren’t eligible for Medicaid should be informed that in 2011 North Carolina spent $48 million on 19000 people in emergency funds.


I do not wish to impugn the motives of the people who funded or researched this study, however, if the goal is to provide preventive and primary care that will tend to the ill and injured, there is a more cost effective manner than having to fund and deal with a blotted and wasteful government bureaucracy.  Primary physicians are charging a median fee of $70 per month for high level care.  This kind of service has been implemented in 46 states including North Carolina.  Shouldn’t we encourage a more economical and productive means of healthcare, instead of breaking more windows?    


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