Epilogue SB96 – Obamacare Medicaid Expansion Continues

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Opponents of the Obamacare Medicaid Expansion (Private Option) are wondering what happened to the effort to end the big government program. There is also a lot of political spin being made on why why SB96 was passed.

This article addresses both those issues. and closes this chapter on  SB96 and its continuation of Arkansas as an Obamacare Medicaid Expansion state.

 

WHAT HAPPENED?

With what seemed to be a solid core of returning legislators who were opposed to Obamacare Medicaid Expansion (Private Option) in 2013 and 2014 and an influx of freshmen legislators who campaigned against Obamacare, it looked like opponents would be able to defund the program in 2015.  Legislators came close in their efforts to defund it in both 2014 and 2015.

As the 2015 legislative session began, opponents found themselves in a tough position – continue to work to defund the program or support Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson who wanted to: (1) Continue the Private Option to the end of 2016 when it was scheduled to end anyway; and (2) Create a task force to work on a new plan to keep Arkansas an Obamacare Medicaid Expansion state after 2016.  Many decided to support the governor despite having been a staunch opponent of Obamacare.  SB96 adopted the governor’s plan, now being referred to as “Asa Care”.  And the appropriation bill that could have been blocked to force defunding has also passed.

Obamacare Medicaid Expansion has been continued unabated; and the fight appears to be over this session. In the following two years more people will be enrolled; and it will be even harder to end this big government program as we near the time forArkansas to start making its contributions to support this budget busting program.  Any costs saving that we had hoped for from a Republican administration are now likely to be funneled back into helping Arkansas pay for Obamacare Medicaid Expansion.

AFTER THE PASSAGE OF SB96

Shortly after SB96 passed the House of Representatives, the chair of the Democrat Party of Arkansas congratulated the legislature for continuing Obamacare Medicaid Expansion (Private Option) and chided Republicans who campaigned against the program while voting for it in SB96.  Legislators who had voted against Obamacare Medicaid Expansion in the past but voted for SB96, were also quick to claim that SB96 was the only reasonable way to attack the program. (Attack it by continuing it.)

Since claims by some SB96 supporters are causing public confusion, Conduit for Action will close this chapter with a list oftheir claims. There were three distinct groups that supported SB96: (1) Democrats, (2) Republicans who voted for the Private Option in 2013 & 2014 or who supported it in their 2014 campaign; and (3) Republicans who voted against the Private option in 2013 & 2014 or who campaigned against it in 2014.  It is only the claim of this last group that is addressed below

POLITICAL SPIN – 10  EXCUSES FOR VOTING FOR SB96 & CFA RESPONSE

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