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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has become the eighth Republican governor to agree to expand Medicaid coverage in his state under the provisions of Obamacare.
Is the last line of Republican resistance to Obamacare disintegrating?
In 2011, 26 states joined a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the provision of Obamacare, that forced them to participate in expanding Medicaid coverage as a condition to continue to participate in the program. The Supreme Court ruled in their favor last year, negating the mandatory requirement, so it is now voluntary for states to expand Medicaid coverage.
The Congressional Budget Office still estimates that expanded Medicaid coverage, though now voluntary rather than forced upon states, will contribute about a third of the reduction in the number of uninsured Americans brought about by Obamacare by 2022.
So it was assumed, once expansion of Medicaid became voluntary, that this was a line Republican governors would not cross. Refusal by Republican governors to play ball could be a serious setback for Obamacare to advance and plant its institutional roots.
But one by one, Republican governors like Christie, and just before him, Florida's Rick Scott, are playing ball. Christie was graphically honest in describing the perverse dynamics going on.
"I am no fan of the [Patient Protection and] Affordable Care Act. I think it is wrong for New Jersey, and I think it is wrong for America. ... However, it is now the law of the land, and I will make all my judgments as governor based on what I believe is best for New Jersey."
By expanding the qualifying conditions for Medicaid, Obamacare opens the door, according to the Congressional Budget Office's latest estimate, to adding an additional 11 million to the almost 68 million already in it.
Those 68 million are paid for by a combination of state and federal funds. However, as incentive to bring in the additional 11 million, the federal government is paying 100 percent of the costs for the first three years.
Christie and seven other Republican governors are taking the bait. And Christie says, clear as a bell, that he is doing so even though he knows he is strengthening a program that is bad for this country. Assume that Christie's assessment is correct. Multiply by 50 and we might have 50 states agreeing to take a bribe to strengthen and advance a program that will hurt the country.
A classic explanation for why free markets produce prosperity and socialism does not is that individuals benefit in government-run markets by taking from someone else. In free markets, individuals benefit as a result of serving others, making everyone better off.
Medicaid violates basic management principles. There is no clear institutional responsibility. It has grown through funding from both state and the federal government. Anyone who has ever run an organization knows that absence of clear responsibility produces bad results.
Medicaid spending has grown from 0.5 percent of GDP in 1970 to 2.7 percent of GDP in 2010, and according to Medicaid's chief actuary, "From program inception, the cost of Medicaid has generally increased at a significantly faster pace than the U.S. economy."
And there is no individual responsibility. Medicaid is a pure welfare program. Participants have 100 percent of their costs covered by the government. Once you have qualified, there is no time limit. There are no incentives to behave and spend efficiently. The only direction of Medicaid is to spend more and more money less and less well.
Delivering health care to low-income Americans is a real challenge. But to keep America great, we need to behave intelligently as well as compassionately. If we are going to subsidize health care for the poor, it should be through some kind of voucher to buy insurance. Not through welfare.
Meanwhile, the evil geniuses in Washington have devised a way to get even Republican governors to buy into a welfare program they know can only hurt our nation.
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Star Parker is president of CURE.
March 4, 2013 @ 5:16 am
Christy, it is not the law of the land, it is the law of Obama which will insure our bankruptcy and demise just like all of his “laws”.
March 4, 2013 @ 6:28 am
arresting people illegally here is also the law of the land,I hope they enforce 0bama care as hard as they try to enforce illegal status or will they as with illegal aliens just ignore the law as i am,just a note scott,christie,jindle(maybe misspelled) and rubio are all possers
March 4, 2013 @ 9:28 am
The Republican party is divided now. Obama is doing all he can to make the gap into a canyon. He is trying to destroy the GOP. He wants to be our first black president and our first dictator. I’m not sure we will even have another election in this country.
What a sorry president he is! He is definitely not a man for the people. I can’t quite figure out what he is, but he is not one of us. Pray for the Conservatives of America to band together before it is too late.
March 4, 2013 @ 10:39 am
Ron, the Supreme Court has already let it stand, so it IS a law until it is repealed by Congress. However, this is just another example of WHY the Republican Party is becoming irrelevant–they refuse to stand up to this type of dictatorial mandate. They complain and then they join in because they see the “federal money” they can grab.
Think about this: States and the Feds pay the entire cost of Medicaid. Where do states and the federal government get their money–taxpayers. So the taxpayers (which are only half the population) are paying the full medical care costs of all those on Medicaid. That is exactly why Obama wants to expand Medicaid to cover all these additional people, just another part of wealth redistribution.
March 4, 2013 @ 5:50 am
Ms. Star, please realize that all Governors that fly the Republican Banner are not Conservative Republicans.
Many ‘Republicans’ are Democratic outcasts, or simply opportunists, looking to live the ‘Good Life’ on our dime.
Possibly, we can weed out such imposters and set the Ship-of-State upright once again.
March 4, 2013 @ 7:24 am
Christie has ended his hopes in the Republican party. Politically he is dead. His career is over unless he just goes Democrat, which he might because he’s such a traitor to the cause.
March 4, 2013 @ 7:58 am
Lets see…. Sequestor bully used car salesman tactics…epic fail. Obamacare…with all it’s ‘we have to pass it to know what’s in it’ mentality…epic fail. Transparency…(Benghazi Libya, Drone program, keeping the MSM under threat and lock step…all epic fails.
Seems ole Chicken n’ Chiefs ‘rah rah’ community organizing tactics are no longer serving him…it didn’t work. What ever will the POTUS resort to next? He’s worn out the Booooosssshhhh excuse. He’s been blaming everything and the sun on Republican’s (who have only held a majority for two years in the House), he’s blamed Fox news and their reporting for American’s mis understanding his intentions. His is out right outta people/person’s/entity’s and organizations to blame.
~M
March 4, 2013 @ 10:01 am
Anyone still pushing Christie as a presidential contender?
March 4, 2013 @ 6:02 am
Nope! He’s a turncoat! Just another Rhino!
March 4, 2013 @ 8:13 am
It will be up to us to make sure that Christie stays in New Jersey. You can bet the farm that he is just the type of “moderate” repub that the likes of Karl Rove & the rhino establishment will be pushing & wholeheartedly supporting.
March 4, 2013 @ 10:39 am
CPAC was right! Christie is shedding his conservative skin and replacing it with RINO hide.
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March 4, 2013 @ 11:18 am
Fear causes people to make wrong decisions. -0 has the top officials accepting his ways and down we go into a socialist/communistic society. Already, we don’t recognize our country as it was founded. No Statesmen who will stand up for the Constitution. Our only hope is God.
March 4, 2013 @ 2:31 pm
Amen to that Allen S.
March 4, 2013 @ 12:29 pm
Crisp Crispy is becoming more and more of a disapointment.
March 4, 2013 @ 12:48 pm
Any time you put your trust in a man or woman who is a politician, be prepared for disappointment. Mankind will usually disappoint you and politicians will ALWAYS disappoint you while trying to make it look like your fault.
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March 4, 2013 @ 7:56 pm
Star… you nailed it. Any time you add more and more people who are allowed unbridled consumption, to a “market” with shrinking supply, the result is always chaos and then rationing. Some form of a voucher system can at least bring some marketing forces into play.
March 5, 2013 @ 10:35 am
The problem with Repubicans in Congress is, first, they were RINO’s, and 2nd., it appears that some members are like an “old structure full of termites”…
Suggest, they place all “so called Republicans in a building”, and place a carp and treat them all as a pest”,
We can not trust any more “moles” in the party!
GOD SAVE CONGRESS FRON THEIR OWN HAND!
March 12, 2013 @ 6:41 pm
>l.i’m not sure i’ve got the spelling correct,but any comments on MAINE’s REMONSTRANCE MOVEMENT as of late(constitutional sniff test before debate or vote on the floor)
>ll.dear leader has brought religion to the mean nasty U.S commies.
>lll.remember the Atlanta Security Gaurd,who found the suspicious bag,and actually saved many lives?
well no good deed go’s unpunished,we’ll start seeing more of that(we must withdraw support of all things which strive to oppress the free),review the BILL O RIGHTS/CONSTITUTION.