Scott Walker’s Partisan Politics Cost Taxpayers Over $600 Million
Gov. Scott Walker and his rubber-stamp legislature rejected $4.4 billion in federal funds to expand our successful BadgerCare program.
MADISON – As President Obama to Milwaukee to celebrate the success of the ACA, reports from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel show Gov. Scott Walker‘s solely partisan, and political opposition to the Affordable Care Act is costing taxpayers in Wisconsin over $600 million. Journal Sentinel’s Guy Boulton wrote on Monday, “The Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimated in December that Wisconsin is on track to spend $678.6 million more through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, than the state would have had Walker accepted the federal money available through the law.”
“It is beyond me why the governor wouldn’t accept federal dollars to help the hard-working families of Wisconsin,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning said on Thursday. “Gov. Scott Walker could have saved millions of dollars for the taxpayers and helped thousands of Wisconsin families, but instead, he put ideology and politics ahead of the need to do what is right for Wisconsinites.”
Gov. Scott Walker and his rubber-stamp legislature rejected $4.4 billion in federal funds to expand our successful BadgerCare program. Instead of accepting federal funding that would have covered the majority of the costs, Gov. Walker created a plan to kick more then 92,000 people off their healthcare, including some children. Not only did Wisconsin Republicans compromise access to affordable healthcare for Wisconsinites, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, they missed an opportunity to create an additional 10,000 jobs in our state.
Walker’s decision to reject federal funds to expand BadgerCare had immediate harmful effect on Wisconsinites. Now, we know for certain that the hits keep on coming as our state continues to insure fewer people and Wisconsin taxpayers remain on the hook for more than $600 million through 2017.
“This news makes it clear that Scott Walker should evaluate his fiscal responsibilities. His partisan rejection of federal funds to expand healthcare access comes at cost to our entire state,” concluded Laning.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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You just don’t get it, do you. He takes the money now to expand this program, and that money is not there year after year, so we tax payers have to come up with it after that. You think he doesn’t see this coming? You need to stop looking at the now and start looking to the future and what this state needs for money. Or don’t you mind paying more and more taxes and getting nothing from it? And as far as your comment as this is “beyond you”, maybe you should take some time to see why he is doing this and not just spouting uninformed rhetoric, like a true liberal.
Hal:
Your ignorance on this issue has just been exposed. Do your homework before making a fool out of yourself. The Feds are paying 100% now, 95% from 2017-2020, and 90% after 2020. Wisconsin incurs huge costs for emergency room care and hospital visits for the uninsured. A nonpartisan agency estimated that the state is foregoing $1.2B by not accepting Federal funds. Your tax dollars are going to Minnesota and Illinois. Hope you enjoy subsidizing your neighboring states. Scott Walker is a despicable human being!
It is beyond me why the governor wouldn’t accept federal dollars since they are our dollars that we pay in income tax. Plus even after the 100% coverage ends, we would still be paying less than we are now to continue the program.
Tom: I have read many times where it was stated that we pay 40% and the feds now pay 60%, and we will continue to pay that 40% forever or until someone changes it. Under the ACA expansion, we would be paying much much less.
Hal: You need to get your eyesight checked or stop reading the right-wing rags that don’t tell you the whole truth.
Alene, because the people who would be covered under the medicaid expansion are covered right now by the ACA exchanges and federal tax subsidies. Right now we don’t have to worry about paying, as a state, anything for these people. They’re where Obamacare was originally designed to have them, on the exchanges with a refundable tax credit.