Good Reasons to Oppose Welfare Expansion
73 million Americans are already on Medicaid
"Control healthcare to control the people" has been long taught by socialists and communists. The left, as well as others who stand to benefit financially in the short term, will clamor for Obamacare Medicaid expansion, but the sound reasons to oppose this are many if not obvious.
The hard Left simply wants more government dependents. Others may be softhearted folks who see welfare expansion as charitable, but it is neither charitable nor is it sustainable. The welfare system has not solved poverty. Furthermore, Obamacare Medicaid expansion is another step toward socialism and will expand poverty far beyond what our country has today.
Medicaid was established in 1965 for the truly indigent. It was projected to cost nine billion dollars by 1990. The actual cost that year was $67 billion! Now, 73 million people are on Medicaid (almost one in four Americans) at the tremendous annual cost of over $500 billion (up 14% last year). Half of U.S. births are now paid for by Medicaid. Skyrocketing Medicaid costs are projected to pass $1 trillion within five years. Meanwhile, the U.S. leads the world in debt and is going broke.
The current Obamacare plan would expand the number of recipients to almost one in three Americans, and the numbers would continue to grow. The current plan is only the next artificial benchmark which the Left will always advance. This plan is not the end; it is simply a major step toward the Left's goal of government-run healthcare.
True poverty, a state of deprivation, is an age old concern. It may seem difficult for some to define true poverty and how best to address it. In the Bible, the Lord says the poor will always be among us. But, who is "poor"? Are a fourth (or more) of Americans truly destitute and unable to sustain without dependence on government assistance?
Studies clearly show that many Americans defined as "in poverty" by our government live better than Europe's "middle class", and far better than most of the world. Many Americans "in poverty" own many luxuries compared to the rest of the world. No one suggests poverty does not exist or there should be no safety net, but America's welfare system has gone very far beyond this.
Fifty years ago, the Left launched its "war on poverty". After over $20 trillion (mostly borrowed) spent, poverty rates are not improved but broken homes have skyrocketed. Too often, an attitude of entitlement has replaced responsibility. The nation is on the brink of bankruptcy, the economy is stagnant, and American jobs move elsewhere as U.S. corporate taxation leads the world.
America has never been more divided, and this divided house with its continued budget deficits cannot stand too much longer. Socialized medicine is a huge nail in the coffin of a free America, as many on the Left celebrate the nation's demise.
Welfare dependence for many has become a way of life, as the programs have created more poverty than they have cured. There is no incentive for anyone to save money with Medicaid. The program needs reform, not expansion. Many meaningful healthcare cost reforms have been suggested, including health savings accounts, more transparency in pricing, competing health insurers across state lines, and yes - tax dollars certainly available for the truly indigent, but with some personal accountability and incentive built into the system. Also, programs such as Medicaid should be managed at the state level, rather than the overgrown federal government.
It is past time for straight talk instead of false promises to tickle the ears of the public. America is at the brink, with a current debt greater than all the goods and services produced in this country. The national debt will exceed $20 trillion by the end of the year, and total U.S. debt is $800,000 per family. If America does not get its financial house in order right away, which seems impossible, there is no alternative to financial collapse. When this happens, poverty in America today will seem like the American dream. Thoughts of money for programs like Medicaid will be a fantasy. Americans need to wake up and get real, or the American dream will soon be a nightmare.
