Guest Column | Corbett, quit losing our money

America is a country in which if something does not resonate or apply to a certain individual, then it will not be a concern for them. Well, insured individuals, let me make a point for you. By not participating in Medicaid expansion, every tax-payer has to pay more for insurance (that’s right, even private insurance). Let me elaborate.

Governor Tom Corbett and 13 other governors have chosen not to provide assistance to about 21.3 million individuals. This number makes up half of the nations uninsured. These individuals could be insured thanks to the ObamaCare Medicaid Expansion, which is stated in the Affordable Care Act. However, the states represented by these 14 governors have chosen the “opt-out” option.

By opting out, the entire country — not only the state — loses. Private insurance rates will increase since more uninsured individuals will have to rely on the ObamaCare Health Exchange. Hospitals and health care as a whole will find that many uninsured individuals will make trips to the emergency room (where insurance is not needed). These trips will end up being paid by the taxpayers.

Medicaid expansion can also boost the economy and sustain 35,000 additional jobs. All in all, this expansion would be an investment for the state to save more money down the road. Because of all the reasons listed above, it is foolish to walk away from this expansion.

There is one uninsured population that needs to be given special attention: women. By providing women insurance, they then become able to obtain family planning services, comprehensive maternity care, newborn care, treatment for chronic illnesses (such as breast or cervical cancer) and preventative health services.

Women need this insurance for a variety of reasons. First off, women generally have higher medical expenses and suffer from chronic illnesses at higher rates than men do. Women are also less likely to have full-time employment which would provide health care benefits. When speaking about elderly women, most of them lost their health care insurance when their husbands passed away.

Why are women so important? Because women made up 80 percent of health care decisions for the families within which they reside. Basically, if the woman of the household has insurance, she is more likely to obtain insurance for the rest of her family. Upon receiving health care, the woman can also vouch for the importance of healthcare.

Also, if more people are insured, that means lower premiums for private insurances, because the Medicaid expansion would make insurance more affordable for everyone.

A common myth is that individuals should not be provided health care because it will not be used. Actually, individuals who have Medicaid are more likely to use preventative care and primary care. They are more likely to go visit their physicians regularly instead of taking emergency room visits at the last minute.

Also, individuals who are on Medicaid are less likely to forgo bills, so hospitals won’t have millions of dollars in unpaid bills. As of recently, doctor’s salaries have been on the decline. By providing health care to more individuals, those salaries would end up climbing.

Newly insured individuals will also have more money (since they won’t have out-of-pocket medical costs) to pay for water, electricity and healthy food. Therefore, not only would this expansion help save money, but it would also help save lives. Health care would become something that everyone could access and benefit from.

So, let me restate my first point: by not participating in Medicaid expansion, every taxpayer has to pay more for insurance, even private insurance. Also, doctor’s salaries will continue to decline and hospitals will continue to have unpaid bills, which will eventually be paid by the taxpayers. Give insurance to uninsured individuals, especially the women (who make up the majority of the uninsured in America) and each and every citizen can keep a little bit more money in their pockets.

This article has been updated to reflect that various states are opting out of Medicaid expansion, not Medicare expansion.

Angelika Maryniak is a student in the School of Social Policy & Practice. Her email address is angelikamaryniak@gmail.com.

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