From Avik Roy and Grace-Marie Turner:
While Florida governor Rick Scott has endorsed Medicaid expansion, Virginia governor Bob McDonnell has taken a different stance…
Here are twelve reasons Governor McDonnell is correct in his decision and Governor Scott is wrong.
1. Virginia’s Medicaid spending will explode.
2. Medicaid harms the poor.
3. Medicaid’s access problems will get worse as more doctors drop out.4. Claims about job creation are exaggerated.
5. Claims about coverage expansion are exaggerated.
6. Medicaid raises premiums for those with private insurance.
7. Medicaid’s undercompensated care is a bigger problem than providing uncompensated care for the uninsured.
8. Expanding Medicaid will expose Virginia to immense amounts of fraud and waste.
9. Virginia will be exposed to higher Medicaid costs when Washington recalculates its matching payments.
10. By rejecting the Medicaid expansion, Virginia encourages other states to do the same, reducing waste of taxpayer dollars.
11. Medicaid will worsen the cycle of dependence and harm the economy.
12. Exchanges will provide better health outcomes, far less fraud, and fiscal certainty.
