Aug 11, 2013

Witnesses / Witness Forms needed for House Hearing

At several Missouri House and Senate committee hearings this summer, hordes of people with their hands out, and others who would otherwise profit by it, have been lined up asking state lawmakers to make us further indebted to the federal government.

They want Missouri to expand Medicaid under Obamacare, but anyway you cut it, expanding Medicaid is a terrible idea.

The Missouri General Assembly refused to expand Medicaid last session, but they are conducting hearings this summer, listening to recommendations from the public – recommendations that may influence whether or not they expand Medicaid next session. So far, the witnesses going to these hearings have been overwhelmingly in favor of expansion, and the media is picking up on it.

Don't underestimate the influence that will have on our lawmakers!

Of course, the people showing up are largely the ones with their hands out, while the taxpayers who are footing the bill are busy at work. There's one more hearing – this Wednesday.

We need witnesses and/or witness forms in opposition to expansion. If you can, please attend the hearing or, at least, fill out our online witness form (link below) and we will hand-deliver it to the committee.

One of the more onerous provisions of Obamacare is the expansion of Medicaid programs in the states.

One of the few good things about the U.S. Supreme Court's opinon in the Obamacare case was an expicit statement denying the feds the power to FORCE or otherwise coerce the states into expanding Medicaid.

That's good, because the Obamacare expansion of Medicaid would have devastating effects on Missouri's budget as the burden for paying for it shifted from federal grants to state taxpayers. (Of course, the federal grant money came from us too!)

In addition to the fiscal consequences, the proposed expansion of Medicaid would have negative social repercussions, since it expands the entitlement class which discourages self-sufficiency and personal accountability.

There would likely be negative consequences for the truly needy, too. Experts predict that health care providers will be overwhelmed with new Medicaid patients, and since the government prescribed payments are not enough to keep them in business, many will stop accepting Medicaid cases. That means the truly needy Medicaid patients may have a hard time finding doctors who will see them.

Again, please fill out a witness form right away – we anticipate several hundred witness forms and need time to print them before the Wednesday hearing.

For Liberty,

- Ron