Bert Dirschell
Centertown
Dear Editor:
We still hear a lot about "Medicaid Expansion." We all need to be aware that this is an example of a federal government that wants to be our god. It continues to offer more free stuff, free stuff funded by more debt piled on future generations, to make more people dependent on government. The majority of voters in the U.S. are a greedy, covetous people who believe the god of government's job it to turn the U.S. into a "land of equal outcome." No longer is our goal to live in a "land of equal opportunity." (Opportunity has never been "equal" but each generation has had, and still has, the opportunity to better themselves.)
Prior to the mid '60s health care for the indigent was provided by local and state government, then we heard, "I'm from the federal government I'm here to give you free stuff. It's called Medicaid." I can assure you that back then we did not have people dying in the streets because they lacked medical care.
Prior to Medicaid we decided locally what we thought was a reasonable amount to spend on health care for the indigent. We also decided locally who received the care. I am certain we had much less fraud.
State and local governments have always had the opportunity to provide more care for their indigent. Why is it that no liberal/socialist state chose to provide the additional coverage included with Medicare expansion until it was "free?" We only want it because we don't have to pay for it. We are content to continue the disgusting habit of piling more debt on our children so that we can have our free stuff at no cost to us.
How well has Medicaid worked? In 2018 dollars the program cost us $81/capita in 1970. The cost more than doubled to $181/capita by 1980. In 2010 the cost was $1,003/capita. For FY2018 it cost us $1,187/capita. Why did Medicaid cost 18 percent more in 2018, a year of near record low unemployment, than it did in 2010?
For those who believe government should force some to pay for more "free" health care for others, please have the decency to push for local/state tax increases to fund such programs. Don't keep piling more debt on our children.