[Vision2020] Could have been written in idaho

[Ron Force]

​From digby's blog:

​*The cheapest patient is a dead one*

by Tom Sullivan

A doctor's letter to the editor
<http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2016/03/21/kinston-doctors-letter-is-an-absolute-must-read-for-legislators-refusing-to-expand-medicaid/>
:

I had the pleasure of taking care of a North Carolina constituent recently.
She is in her early 60s with severe heart failure acquired as a genetic
abnormality. She works in a small diner here and makes $9,000 a year. She
needs a defibrillator, which costs from $50,000 to $80,000.

She does not have health insurance since she cannot afford to buy on the
open market. She tried the Affordable Care Act. The cutoff is above her pay
so she is not eligible. Since Republican lawmakers are fiscally
responsible, she understands why they rejected money that was coming from
Washington to expand Medicaid. After all, they have to do what is best for
the people in other states that expanded Medicaid or what is best for their
friends in the insurance and pharmaceutical industry.

She fully supports GOP policies because, after all, what is one life worth?
She also understands that the general Republican thought that Medicaid
expansion is a Democratic socialist ploy had nothing to do with why they
did not adopt it.

I regret to inform you that she died a few days ago. I am pretty sure she
and her family are thankful to Republicans for saving all this money. She
totally understands the position that the cheapest patient is a dead
patient.

PRADEEP ARUMUGHAM, M.D.
KINSTON

The letter might have been written in any of the 19 states
<https://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/current-status-of-the-medicaid-expansion-decisions-healthreform3.png>
that
have refused Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act.

<https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tImzjsS7XYw/VvJk7LCx4gI/AAAAAAAABB0/joW35IX_ZgAuNnbWMf9mzFlPiRyTHVSsg/s1600/current-status-of-the-medicaid-expansion-decisions-healthreform3.png>

Count her as "died quickly <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-usmvYOPfco>."
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