Letter to the Editor: Medicaid expansion is funded by our tax dollars. We should take it
After years of the Legislature ignoring the issue, we finally got legislative hearings in both the House and Senate regarding the issue of Medicaid (KanCare) expansion for the state of Kansas. Again, these bills are being blocked and prevented from full-floor debate and passage by leadership and members of the Legislature who oppose this issue.
All federal tax dollars that Kansas taxpayers remit to Washington D.C. fund and finance this federal government benefit program available to all states, if the respective state participates in the program. Forty-one, including DC, do. Ten, including Kansas, do not. Every state that borders Kansas does.
Therefore, the rate of return of federal tax dollars to Kansans is zero for our tax contribution to this federal benefit, while our contribution pays for all the states that receive it. But we do not.
It is estimated by the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas that since this federal benefit program was created, Due to lack of participation, Kansas has lost over $7 billion in federal revenue coming back to Kansas to help fund our economically ailing healthcare system. Since 2005, eight to 10 Kansas hospitals have closed completely or significantly reduced services.
Fifty-eight of Kansas' 102 rural hospitals — or 57% — are at risk of closing. This is a higher percentage than in any other state in the nation.
Medicaid expansion would create nearly 23,000 jobs and help end our healthcare worker shortage in Kansas.
The argument of some who oppose this is that it represents socialism. I would like to ask them if they have any form of insurance. All insurance types are based on socialistic concepts, where those who participate contribute their resources (premiums) into a common pot and take from according to their need when a claim arises.
If a claim never manifests itself, they take nothing in return. If their claim is more than they paid in, they get more in return. If their claim is less than they paid in, they get less in return than they paid in. I guess we better pass laws to make all types of insurance illegal since it's socialism.
Another argument against this federal benefit is that if the federal government ever cancels the program, the entire cost will fall back onto the states. There is a provision in the bill to prevent this should that scenario happen. For lack of participation in this federal benefit program, the citizens and taxpayers of Kansas continue to get screwed — in this case to the tune of $7 billion and counting.
If the legislators representing your respective districts oppose this expansion, please don't send them back to Topeka.
Daris P. WiebeUlysses, Kansas