tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post6075057673712554698..comments2024-03-10T13:59:19.230-04:00Comments on xpostfactoid: AHCA Reduces Federal Spending on Private Health Insurance by....4%Andrew Sprunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601269968798865106noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-85134106722033920762017-05-30T14:58:15.880-04:002017-05-30T14:58:15.880-04:00Andrew, you know that I endorse about 98% of what ...Andrew, you know that I endorse about 98% of what you write, but so far I am not joining in the dismay about Medicaid, for these reasons:<br /><br />1. Even with the AHCA and Trump budget in their present form, Medicaid spending will grow from about $400 billion today to about $600 billion in 2016.<br /><br />I call that growth. I do not call that a cut.<br /><br />Of course, that kind of growth does not keep up with the expansion of clients and medical cost growth.<br /><br />Democrats have a bad habit of saying that slower growth is a savage cut -- they did this during the Newt Gingrich days. (not that he was any better)<br /><br />Well, I do not believe that government has a constitutional commitment to keep up with the cost of health care.<br /><br />As for the recent expansions, I like them. But nothing prevents a state from paying for expansion on its own. If their taxpayers are too stubborn to do so, that disturbs me but I do not consider this as a savage Republican attack all by itself.<br /><br />I may have some things wrong in the above comments, and I do not mind being corrected.bob.hertzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09686373408419885558noreply@blogger.com