Gov. Snyder meets with Medicaid Expansion advocates to encourage a positive vote on the plan. CRANKY & COSTLY: Grand Rapids Press Joins Boo Birds on Medicaid Gap
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"It was petty and vindictive not to grant the measure immediate effect," commented the Grand Rapids Press about the Michigan Medicaid Gap.
What raised the ire of the Kent County newspaper was the failure by the Michigan Senate to give immediate effect to the expansion of Medicaid sponsored by Gov. Rick Snyder.
The paper's editorial board opined: "Senate Republicans have needlessly cost the state an estimated $630 million by forcing an April 2014 implementation instead of Jan. 1. And hundreds of thousands of Michigan's working poor will have to go for months unnecessarily without health care coverage.
"That's unacceptable from our public servants."
The paper went on to name its area state senators who, in the opinion of some on both sides, took the stand merely to polish their Grinch credentials for the Tea Party.
Snyder immediately took to the microphone to commend the Senate for passing the bill last Tuesday night, but added the hope that the immediate effect issue would be revisited.
"This is not Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act," said Sen. Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw Township, a physician and chair of a workgroup on the bill. "This is our bipartisan bill that will reform the cost of Medicaid throughout the state and become a model in the country."
Michigan can access up to $1.7 billion in federal funding next year but will lose an estimated $630 million if the act is not implemented until April 2014. The measure expands Medicaid eligibility to able-bodied adults whose family income is below 133 percent of the poverty level. That amounts to about $15,000 per individual or $31,000 for a family of four.
Because Republican senators broke caucus protocol and failed to give the bill the needed 2/3rds majority, it will not be given immediate effect. The decision could cost Michigan up to $7 million a day in federal funding that will be available beginning January 1, Department of Community Health Director Jim Haveman said last week. As it stands, expanded coverage for low-income residents would be delayed until late March or early April.
"Politically, the delayed effect caters to the more extreme base of the GOP," complained the GR editorial. "By appearing to have fought Obamacare to the bitter end, politicians hope to protect themselves from repercussions in 2014 primary elections."
In this area there already are rumbles about potential candidates against State Sen. Mike Green, R-Mayville, who opposed his colleague Sen. Kahn on the bill and on giving the bill immediate effect. Some 470,000 state residents, including thousands in mid-Michigan, will be affected, according to press estimates.
Although Sen. Kahn, a George Romney-Bill Milliken style Republican with a Progressive bent, is not seeking re-election, Tea Party type Green is expected to try to keep his long career in Michigan politics on track.
Since 24 votes were needed for immediate effect, four more Republicans would have had to vote "yes" on the bill for it to kick in on Jan. 1.
Eight Republicans voted yes: Tom Casperson of Escanaba, Goeff Hansen of Hart, Roger Kahn of Saginaw Township, Mike Kowall of White Lake Township, James Marleau of Lake Orion, Randy Richardville of Monroe, Tory Rocca of Sterling Heights, Howard Walker of Traverse City.
Eighteen Republicans voted no: Darwin Booher of Evart, Jack Brandenburg of Harrison Township, Bruce Caswell of Hillsdale, Patrick Colbeck of Canton Township, Judy Emmons of Sheridan, Mike Green of Mayville, Dave Hildenbrand of Lowell, Joe Hune of Hamburg Township, Mark Jansen of Gaines Township, Rick Jones of Grand Ledge, Arlan Meekhof of West Olive, John Moolenaar of Midland, Mike Nofs of Battle Creek, John Pappageorge of Troy, Phil Pavlov of St. Clair, John Proos of St. Joseph, Dave Robertson of Grand Blanc, Tonya Schuitmaker of Lawton.
Twelve Democrats voted yes: Jim Ananich of Flint, Glenn Anderson of Westland, Steve Bieda of Warren, Vincent Gregory of Southfield, Morris Hood III of Detroit, Hoon-Yung Hopgood of Taylor, Tupac Hunter of Detroit, Bert Johnson of Highland Park, Virgil Smith of Detroit, Rebekah Warren of Ann Arbor, Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing, Coleman Young II of Detroit.
Talking Points Memo observed: "Michigan joins a handful of other red states that have signed onto this key piece of Obamacare, which grants Medicaid eligibility to people with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Arizona and North Dakota are two other uniformly Republican states that agreed to the expansion; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also endorsed an expansion proposal from his Democratic-controlled state legislature."
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, for whom Medicaid expansion was a major priority, will sign the measure after returning from a 10-day trade trip to Asia.
"I would have preferred to have gotten immediate effect, but what I would say is this is still a victory for Michiganders ? both in terms of the people getting coverage and all Michiganders," he told reporters.
Medicaid expansion is part of a strategy to ensure nearly all Americans have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. It was designed to cover the neediest uninsured people yet became optional for states because of a Supreme Court decision.
Many GOP-led states opposed to "Obamacare" have declined the expansion, despite the U.S. government promising to cover the entire cost for the first three years and 90 percent later. Michigan is poised to become the seventh state led by a Republican governor to expand Medicaid, and just the third where the GOP also controls the Legislature ? joining Arizona and North Dakota.
The program already covers one in five Michigan residents, mainly low-income children, pregnant women, the disabled and some poorer working adults. ###
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