Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Gov. Mike Beebe said Arkansans are paying a "hidden tax" for health care for the working poor in a speech Wednesday at the annual conference of the Association of Arkansas Counties.
Beebe said he spent 10 years on the board of a hospital in Searcy and knew that hospitals, doctors and other health care providers had to cover the bills of those who could not pay, and that patients who could pay bore the cost.
Arkansans should consider that when deciding whether to expand Medicaid under federal health care reform, Beebe said. The expansion would cover many of those costs, he said.
JOE CANTLEY PapeJoe says...
If people will just take the time to look at the affordable health care bill and find how it benefits most of us who are not wealthy, they will realize this is a good thing for Arkansas
Posted 8 August 2012, 7:01 p.m. Suggest removal
Ronald Dupree twkmaster says...
And if the Medicaid package is expanded, who will be paying the hidden taxes? You guessed it, the working class/taxpayers.
Posted 9 August 2012, 6:05 a.m. Suggest removal
don Shellabarger drs01 says...
So let's expand Medicaid by 250,000 bringing the total to ONE-THIRD of our population on this program. Let's also have subsidized health exchanges for those who can't get on the expanded medicaid program. Let's do a better job of advertising this "freebie" program so that more folks will sign up. Let's also give them a voter registration form when they do, so they will VOTE . Of course, we will need more DHS employees to handle this huge influx of people. But don't worry; your ole uncle Sam will foot the bill for the Medicaid expansion for three years. But after that? With 50% of Americans not paying income taxes, and perhaps a higher percentage in Arkansas, plus over 50% of Arkansans on some government healthcare plan like Medicaid, Medicare or Exchanges, who is left standing to pay the bill?
Posted 9 August 2012, 7:11 a.m. Suggest removal