Maine expands Medicaid by ballot initiative

[K1052]

On Tuesday, Maine became the first state to expand Medicaid with a ballot initiative. And it passed overwhelmingly: Maine voters agreed to grant health care to an estimated 70,000 low-income residents by a nearly 20-percentage point margin by the time the measure was called by election watchers. In other words, a sizable number of voters in Maine just voted to do the exact opposite of what the state's Republican governor and Republicans in Washington have been trying to do.

Maine Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a bipartisan legislative deal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act at least five times. Since Republicans took control of Washington in January, they've spent more than half the year trying to repeal Obamacare with proposals that would have drastically cut Medicaid. But Maine's Sen. Susan Collins (R) was one of the defining “no” votes that ultimately ended the GOP efforts, saying the plans would pull the rug out from too many in her state.

What happened in Maine could provide momentum for progressives to get voters in other states to expand Medicaid, such as Alaska and Idaho, where groups have already started similar Medicaid expansion ballot initiatives next year.

http://wapo.st/2iDh9z4?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.a1de2a6ade0d

Thought this outcome was interesting. I guess Collins will be a no on repeal-replace permanently now. The margin on this is interesting and is going to tempt people in other states that haven't expanded to get it on the ballot next year. Alaska, Idaho, Utah, etc all have that potential.

Trump's argument that the voters won't punish the GOP or him at the polls if they make healthcare shitty is looking slightly less than certain.

 

[kage69]

And Maine tells Paul LePage to eat a bag of dicks, about time. Doesn't look good for Dump and the republican war on affordable healthcare.

 

[K1052]

And the Governor of Maine refuses to implement the expansion authorized by referendum :

http://thehill.com/homenews/state-w...dicaid-expansion-despite-ok-from-maine-voters

I assume he'll be sued quite soon.

 

[brycejones]

And Maine tells Paul LePage to eat a bag of dicks, about time. Doesn't look good for Dump and the republican war on affordable healthcare.

LePage is even nuttier than the great cheeto

 

[werepossum]

Good for Maine. Although I shouldn't like to be the people who have to make this financially feasible, if the people vote to expand Medicaid then they are presumably willing to pay higher taxes to make it so. Just have to watch out for the inevitable crony deals and unassociated pork that tends to creep in with, well, everything government does.

 

[First]

Good for Maine. Although I shouldn't like to be the people who have to make this financially feasible, if the people vote to expand Medicaid then they are presumably willing to pay higher taxes to make it so. Just have to watch out for the inevitable crony deals and unassociated pork that tends to creep in with, well, everything government does.

Yeah, but it'll be at least as good/better than the crony deals and unassociated pork that tends to creep in with, well, everything an insurance company does.

 

[J.Wilkins]

http://wapo.st/2iDh9z4?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.a1de2a6ade0d

Thought this outcome was interesting. I guess Collins will be a no on repeal-replace permanently now. The margin on this is interesting and is going to tempt people in other states that haven't expanded to get it on the ballot next year. Alaska, Idaho, Utah, etc all have that potential.

Trump's argument that the voters won't punish the GOP or him at the polls if they make healthcare shitty is looking slightly less than certain.

So they are not insane in the Maine frame...

Yeah, I know, I'll go sit in the corner and think about what I just did.

 

[K1052]

So they are not insane in the Maine frame...

Yeah, I know, I'll go sit in the corner and think about what I just did.

Shame! Shame! Shame!

 

[fskimospy]

Good for Maine. Although I shouldn't like to be the people who have to make this financially feasible, if the people vote to expand Medicaid then they are presumably willing to pay higher taxes to make it so. Just have to watch out for the inevitable crony deals and unassociated pork that tends to creep in with, well, everything government does.

Probably not a big deal, tax-wise. When even a conservative think tank looked into this issue (so expect bias in terms of higher costs) when fully implemented they estimated it would cost Maine about $54 million in taxes each year. That's not chump change! The thing is that Maine would get more than $500 million per year in federal funds. Yeah, about nine times what they put in. What other public expenditure gets matched 9 to 1? Considering the extra economic activity those $500 million will generate we're probably looking at a large part of Maine's tax expenditures being wiped out.

This has always been a no-brainer for any sane state from an economics standpoint alone, much less a public health one. Basically the only reason states haven't expanded Medicaid is to signal their opposition to the Hated Obamacare. From a public policy perspective it's silliness, but we live in deeply silly times.

 

[kage69]

And the Governor of Maine refuses to implement the expansion authorized by referendum :

http://thehill.com/homenews/state-w...dicaid-expansion-despite-ok-from-maine-voters

I assume he'll be sued quite soon.

Yeah good luck with that Le Page. The oldest voters by state have healthcare and winter heating costs to worry about. This might not take long.

As fskispy just pointed out, that's a lot of support for an aging population to walk away from.

 

[werepossum]

Probably not a big deal, tax-wise. When even a conservative think tank looked into this issue (so expect bias in terms of higher costs) when fully implemented they estimated it would cost Maine about $54 million in taxes each year. That's not chump change! The thing is that Maine would get more than $500 million per year in federal funds. Yeah, about nine times what they put in. What other public expenditure gets matched 9 to 1? Considering the extra economic activity those $500 million will generate we're probably looking at a large part of Maine's tax expenditures being wiped out.

This has always been a no-brainer for any sane state from an economics standpoint alone, much less a public health one. Basically the only reason states haven't expanded Medicaid is to signal their opposition to the Hated Obamacare. From a public policy perspective it's silliness, but we live in deeply silly times.

Wait - why on Earth would Maine receive $500 million federal dollars to implement a $54 million program expansion? That is totally irresponsible federally.

 

[werepossum]

Yeah, but it'll be at least as good/better than the crony deals and unassociated pork that tends to creep in with, well, everything an insurance company does.

Maybe, although insurance companies are heavily regulated.

 

[fskimospy]

Wait - why on Earth would Maine receive $500 million federal dollars to implement a $54 million program expansion? That is totally irresponsible federally.

Why is that irresponsible? As per the ACA the feds pick up 90% of the costs of Medicaid expansion and the state picks up the last 10%. It’s basically because poorer states couldn’t afford to expand Medicaid otherwise and Congress didn’t want them to be excessively burdened.

But yes, that’s the deal conservative states have been rejecting for years. Screwing their own people over out of spite.

 

[ElFenix]

Wait - why on Earth would Maine receive $500 million federal dollars to implement a $54 million program expansion? That is totally irresponsible federally.

because it's a $550 million program expansion. the state only funds a small piece of it.

 

[Younigue]

LePage is even nuttier than the great cheeto

No one is nuttier than Trump but LePage wants to give him a run for his money.

 

[Younigue]

So they are not insane in the Maine frame...

Yeah, I know, I'll go sit in the corner and think about what I just did.

Grew up in Maine. They are insane in the Maine Brain but they did right with this vote. I'm proud of them!

No corners, I appreciated the joke.

* edit - frame

 

[Younigue]

Probably not a big deal, tax-wise. When even a conservative think tank looked into this issue (so expect bias in terms of higher costs) when fully implemented they estimated it would cost Maine about $54 million in taxes each year. That's not chump change! The thing is that Maine would get more than $500 million per year in federal funds. Yeah, about nine times what they put in. What other public expenditure gets matched 9 to 1? Considering the extra economic activity those $500 million will generate we're probably looking at a large part of Maine's tax expenditures being wiped out.

This has always been a no-brainer for any sane state from an economics standpoint alone, much less a public health one. Basically the only reason states haven't expanded Medicaid is to signal their opposition to the Hated Obamacare. From a public policy perspective it's silliness, but we live in deeply silly times.

Maine also legalized marijuana. I'm in hopes their economy will improve greatly. It's been a depressed state for far too long.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Maine also legalized marijuana. I'm in hopes their economy will improve greatly. It's been a depressed state for far too long.

But won't that get all the blacks and latinos going up to impregnate their women and dump off their mega-weaponized reefer?

 

[Younigue]

Beautiful babies and feeling all good. I see no problem.

 

[UNCjigga]

Maine also legalized marijuana. I'm in hopes their economy will improve greatly. It's been a depressed state for far too long.

Stephen King novels are about to get a lot trippier.

 

[kage69]

Stephen King novels are about to get a lot trippier.

Shouldn't. King has been partaking of the devil's lettuce for a long time.

 

[Younigue]

Stephen King novels are about to get a lot trippier.

He's a trippy dude period. He used to play softball with my brother and I've cooked for him many times.

 

[hal2kilo]

Maine also legalized marijuana. I'm in hopes their economy will improve greatly. It's been a depressed state for far too long.

Apparently, LaPage is going to fight that too.

 

[snoopy7548]

He's a trippy dude period. He used to play softball with my brother and I've cooked for him many times.

That's pretty cool. Any good stories?

 

[Phynaz]

Maine also legalized marijuana. I'm in hopes their economy will improve greatly. It's been a depressed state for far too long.

LePage veto'd the bill a week ago.