Republicans save Badgercare by making it as costly as private insurance...it's only fair.

The idea that the Republican want to "save" Medicare and Medicaid by making it as costly as the private sectors unaffordable model, is insulting and just plain cruel. Check out this press release from Republican talking point card reader Rep. Dan Knodl: 

In recent weeks, Democrats have unleashed a vicious assault against Governor Scott Walker and Republicans in the State Legislature for implementing reforms that will bring fiscal solvency to the Medicaid program, ensuring its long-term survival.  Their attack smacks of politics, because Medicaid would have run a deficit so big that leaving the problem unattended would have plunged our state back into fiscal crisis and endangered the future of the program.

The program may survive in name only, but the people may not. Should we let people die so the program can live? The obvious answer would be a tax increase of some sort. It’s not like that option is out of the question, unless a person took a pledge to never raise taxes, even if it means saving a person’s life.

Since the Doyle expansion, enrollment in Medicaid has skyrocketed and state tax revenues have not been able to keep pace. 

Tax revenues haven’t kept up because medical premium increases are huge. Doh! Add to that the Great Recession and high unemployment; is it any surprise more people are on Badgercare? But here’s my favorite line:

Some have engaged in cynical scaremongering, accusing Republicans of slashing benefits to the poor, disabled and elderly.

It’s all true, especially after reading the following solutions. But what’s even worse is the Republican plan; just make Badgercare as costly as private insurance. This is what they did to Badgercare Basic, and killed the program because there weren't enough people who could afford it, and enrolled declined so much the program could not sustain itself. 

Higher-income recipients (above 150% of federal poverty level) contribute a larger premium for their coverage.  This would make their contribution closer to what their neighbors with private coverage might pay.

 Oh, it gets worse:

Benefit coverage and co-pays for most BadgerCare Plus members above 100% FPL be aligned with most widely available commercial health plan in the state

See? Oh, and it gets…worser?

Phase out “presumptive eligibility” as the state implements “real time” eligibility determination for BadgerCare Plus.  Currently, when someone applies for BadgerCare, it is assumed they are eligible and their coverage starts immediately – even though we may find out later that they are, in fact, ineligible.

Now families hit with a medical emergency can go bankrupt while they’re waiting for the slow wheels of the “government” to get around to approving eligibility.

The truth is that, under the proposed changes, individuals would lose coverage only if 1) they make the choice to not pay a fair share to the cost of their care;

But they’re not slashing benefits. They’re saving the program by making it the same as the unaffordable private sector coverage, paying their fair share. Brilliant.