It is time again to ask for donations and volunteers for the Annual
Free Thanksgiving dinner atthe Epsom Fire House on Thanksgiving day,
12 -2pm, all are welcome and to call Karen at 736 9954 to donate or
volunteer.
Letter
To my constituents in Allenstown, Epsom, and Pittsfield,
The Legislature is now addressing the issue of expanding Medicaid
eligibility, as desired by the Federal government. I’m strongly
opposed to doing so, for several reasons. First, Medicaid is the
worst possible “health plan” imaginable. According to various
studies, being on Medicaid does not improve your health outcomes at
all, compared with being uninsured (and poor). Why should we
relegate our constituents to this miserable excuse for a plan, when
nobody in New Hampshire can be turned away at the emergency room?
In addition, Medicaid is based on the premise that doctors and other
health care providers will treat Medicaid patients for about 30% of
the cost of the treatment. Because of that, patients with insurance
(or without) pay more than cost in order to cover the Medicaid
patients. You pay twice for Medicaid patients: first in your taxes
to make the payments and run the bureaucracy, second in your health
care costs, to cover the underpayments. Your taxes go up here as
well, to cover the medical costs of government workers.
Finally, we can’t afford it. Even assuming that the Federal
government keeps its promise to pay for 90% of the expansion
“forever”, the 10% state share would be a big hit to the state
budget. Even agreeing to the supporters’ modest estimates of new
enrollees, the state would have to pay about $40 million in 2020.
There’s not that much loose money in the state’s budget, so how will
we pay for it? Cut spending on roads? Default on pension payments to
our state and local employees? Extend the wait list for other
services? Or go to the broad based tax most people in the state
can’t support?
Interested readers can email me for my newsletter, with more details
than can fit here.
Representative Carol McGuire
[email protected]
782-4918S
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