Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

I am not opposed to looking at an expansion of Medicaid under federal health insurance reform. Our healthcare system is already paying for much of the care that would be covered by the expanded Medicaid services, through uncompensated care that they provide, so it seems illogical to refuse the federal funds. However, a logical and well thought out plan on how we manage the expansion is critical.

Before we agree to an expansion here in Wyoming, we should insist on a detailed, feasible plan for how the State will deal with the costs of the program, should the federal government not be able to provide the funding in the future. Undoubtedly, a pool of recipients will be created that will come to expect and rely on those expanded services. We either need a plan to phase out those services, a solution which is not very palatable for most folks, including me, or we need to identify a plausible and sustainable funding source that will be available to continue the program.

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