PRESS CONFERENCE: Pay no attention to the Obamacare behind the curtain
Governor Asa Hutchinson held a press conference Tuesday to claim that support for his version of the Private Option (Arkansas Works) is not support for Obamacare.
Support Obamacare? Arkansas Works/ Private Option is Obamacare!
Whether you call it Arkansas Works or Private Option it is Obamacare Medicaid Expansion. It is primarily funded with Medicaid Expansion money, under Medicaid Expansion rules, covering everyone who is required to be covered under Medicaid Expansion. The federal government acknowledges it as Medicaid Expansion.
Many states get federal waivers to make minor tweaks in how the program is operated. Arkansas is no different. Arkansas’ tweak to its Obamacare Medicaid Expansion is to run the benefits through insurance companies, making the companies lots of money, and raising the cost of the program.
Support Obamacare? Medicaid Expansion is Obamacare!
There would be no Medicaid Expansion if it had not been part of the Obamacare law!
President Obama and the Democrats in congress never intended for you to have a say in whether Arkansas was subject to Medicaid Expansion. As written the Obamacare law IMPOSED Medicaid Expansion on you! That is what would have happened if the United States Supreme Court had not told the President and Congress that the Medicaid Expansion part of Obamacare overstepped congress’ authority.
The court said states had to have the option whether to accept it. Although Obamacare was passed almost six years ago, two-fifths of the states still say “no” to Obamacare Medicaid Expansion.
Medicaid Expansion doesn’t un-become Obamacare just because the Supreme Court protected us from unconstitutional law. Nor does it un-become Obamacare just because our Governor was elected by Republicans who expected him to end it.