An update from Rep. Pat Ingraham

On Monday, March 25th, a date requested by the Governor, as a member of the House Human Services Committee, I and other members of the committee heard House Bill 590 – Medicaid Expansion, a big issue for the Legislature. On Wednesday, March 27th, the House Human Services Committee took executive action on HB 590 and on a partisan vote, Republicans opposing and Democrats supporting, HB 590, the Medicaid expansion bill, failed to pass the committee.

The issue of Medicaid expansion brought to the forefront people within our community and the state, who have strong passions, concerns and varying perspectives on this issue. HB 590 has generated a great deal of discussion, soul searching and understanding. Constituents either support or oppose the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as a whole and that of expanding Medicaid, which was very evident both during the hearing and by hundreds of emails, phone messages and conversations which expressed both points of view.

Dialog on the expansion of Medicaid, alternative solutions or reforms will continue, not only during the remainder of this session but over the next couple of years, as Montanans and lawmakers strive to find a solution which will work for all of Montana. I think that Montanans would like to have some more information about what this issue is about in order to reach a definitive solution for the issue.

During the last legislative session, Republicans made it clear we did not support the Affordable Care Act, or as many call it “Obamacare.” Many of us urged our Attorney General, now Governor, to join the Florida law suit along with 26 other states in opposing the Affordable Health Care Act. We opposed the two key components of the act, the individual mandate and the expansion of Medicaid. Our Attorney General at that time, refused to join the suit saying “their lawsuit lacked merit”. However, the Supreme Court evidently did think the suit had merit and a major decision in the case found that the individual states had the right to decide if they would expand Medicaid.

As part of Obamacare, the Federal Government proposes expanding the Medicaid program to give free health insurance to a family of four who earns up to $31,321. The federal government promises to pay for the majority of those costs themselves, and only place a small portion of the financial burden on the state.

The problem with the Obamacare Medicaid expansion is that we’re expanding Medicaid to give away free health insurance to people at 133% of the federal poverty level, but that isn’t necessary as the Obamacare exchanges already give away fully subsidized health insurance to people between 100 percent and 200 percent of the federal poverty level. So basically, we’re accepting a huge financial commitment from the federal government that duplicates something they’re already doing in the exchanges, and that makes little sense especially when our medical providers get a higher reimbursement rate from private insurers than from Medicaid.

Medicaid expansion is said to create jobs. However, if a huge increase in federal government dollars will create jobs, how many more jobs would be created if we just left those dollars in the private sector? Because federal money doesn’t grow on trees, as our federal government is approaching 17 trillion dollars in debt reflects. Either we have to pay for it in taxes, or our children have to pay for it in debt. Either way, it gets sucked out of the private sector. If we left it there, wouldn’t we create even more jobs?

As you can see this is a discussion which will be on going as we go forward in addressing reforms for our current Medicaid system and health care reform over all, until we find a solution that works for Montana.

I can be reached during the session by leaving a message for me at (406) 444-4800, by e-mailing me at pathd13@blackfoot.net, or by visiting the legislative branch website at www.leg.mt.gov and clicking the Contact a Legislator link. Instructions are provided for sending me electronic messages. You also may mail your comments to me at Representative Pat Ingraham, Capitol Building, P.O. Box 200400, Helena, MT 59620-0400.