Governors to Congress: We Could Do Better If Washington Got Out of the Way

Kathryn Nix / March 02, 2011

On Tuesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing to explore the impact of Obamacare on the states and the federal roadblocks to state-based reforms.

Front and center at the hearing was Medicaid. Obamacare puts an additional 18 million people in this federal–state health care program for the poor. According to a report from the Senate Finance and House Energy and Commerce Committees, this will burden states with at least $118 billion in additional costs through 2023.

Medicaid is already on track to put state budgets deep in the red, leading to greater deficits, higher taxes, or neglect of other state priorities, like education. At the same time, beneficiaries face huge obstacles to receiving quality care. Instead of adding millions to this broken program, as done under Obamacare, Congress and the states must work together to reform the program. (more…)