Branstad May Work With Senate Democrats To Expand Medicare

Link to News:
http://www.radioiowa.com/2013/05/20/governor-says-nobodys-going-to-get-their-way-totally-in-health-care-debate/

Terry Branstad, the Republican Governor of Iowa, has recently suggested that he might be willing to receive federal funds to expand Medicare under the Affordable Care Act.  The consequences for tax payers and insurance premiums that would follow from a failure to cover the uninsured would be irresponsible, when federal dollars would cover state expenses for the first three years and 90% of those expenses after that.  That hasn't stopped some red states from taking an ideological position refusing those funds, even though the citizens in their states will be paying for them with their federal taxes.  They will also be paying higher insurance premiums due to the high cost of emergency room visits that the uninsured pass on to hospitals, who pass it on to insurance companies, who ultimately saddle that cost with the rest of us.  Branstad is now arguing that we all have to come to the table and work together, and his solution seems to be to expand Medicaid for the state of Iowa, with the option to back out should the federal government pull away from its responsibility to fund that expansion.  It's very promising and it looks like we may see him work with Democrats in the Iowa Senate.  I hope he can set an example for other Republican governors on how to move forward with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.  I think it's reasonable for states to be concerned about the reliability of future funds from the federal government for the expansion of Medicare.  His compromise would address this concern without the foolish consequences of rejecting that expansion.  Let's not forget that this would probably not have been possible had Democrats in the Iowa Senate not held his feet to the fire, spelling out the kinds of consequences that I mention above.  He seems to be moving on this issue and the Democrats should work with him to get this done.  I wouldn't be surprised if we did succeed.  Iowa has a history of setting an example of working across the aisle... hmm.... which reminds me of another post I wrote recently... "What's Wrong With Senator Grassley".