Hawkins provides lies as he writes “let’s start with the facts”

By SJ Otto

Kansas Representative Dan Hawkins felt he had to defend the far-right Republican position where they all seem determined to keep poor people from getting Medicaid/ health care. He called his editorial column, “On Medicaid expansion, let’s start with the facts,” but his article played loose with the facts. He also uses wording to imply that the people Medicaid would go for are free loaders:

“It’s important to look at what Medicaid expansion would actually do. Medicaid expansion provides taxpayer-funded health coverage to able-bodied adults between the ages of 19 and 64. These are predominantly childless adults in their prime working years. In fact, if they were to work at least 31 hours a week they would be eligible for Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) and would have no need for free health care from the state of Kansas.”

For one thing, most of the people that Medicaid would go for are working poor. They work minimum wage. Most politicians such as Hawkins actually oppose such minimum wages protections. Just being eligible for Obamacare does not matter; it is still too expensive here in Kansas for such poor people to afford. This is a state that tried its best, under Governor Sam Brownback, to resist implementing Obamacare. I have Obamacare and all I can afford is catastrophic coverage that would pay for my medical bills if they go over $2,000. It’s not real insurance and it provides almost nothing. I have a friend who retired early with a pension of $1,040 a month. He could not afford the expensive medicines he needed to live. He was 61, not eligible for Medicare. He put off going to the hospital and he later died. Who knows how many other poor people have died due to a lack of affordable health care.

“To put it bluntly, Medicaid expansion will not solve the financial issues facing rural hospitals. Politics and special interests ensure that Medicaid expansion consistently is put forward as the only answer. But it’s simply not true.”

Until we actually implement Medicaid expansion we can’t know how much this would help rural hospitals. Again, Hawkins is playing loose with the truth.

“Vulnerable Kansans such as the elderly, low income parents, low income pregnant women, children in low income families, the disabled and many others are already covered. Medicaid expansion is a system that provides taxpayer funded healthcare to able bodied adults between the ages of 19 and 64, that is it!”

What is wrong here is that few if any low income families or people are covered. In the last eight years, Kansas law makers have made it harder and harder for any low income people to get any kind of assistance.

One thing that becomes very obvious is that Hawkins and others like him have nothing but contempt for poor people. He keeps referring to them as “able bodied adults” who he feels should work. But there are many reasons a person may not be working or may be working for such little income they can’t afford any healthcare. The government page for Medicaid and KanCare Eligibility Guidelines does not even mention coverage for those males that Hawkins talks about. Medicaid expansion would cover some of those people who Hawkins clearly does not favor getting any assistance or health care.

“The other reason Medicaid expansion is presented as the only way forward is politics. Digging deep into health care policy and crafting solutions is boring. It’s much easier to create political talking points and label anyone who opposes your agenda as a cold, heartless person. If Medicaid expansion were to become law, it would fail. Its supporters will find a new political solution to tout, likely placing all healthcare under the control of the government. “

The reality here is that conservatives always talk about “crafting solutions” but in reality they don’t do anything because they like the system as it is. Money grubbing parasites siphon money off of the healthcare, driving prices of such care through the roof. Then he brings up the big ugly boogie man; “government.” There is nothing wrong with government running healthcare. Only conservatives see government as this evil entity that will destroy our society.

Hawkins has a lot of nerve writing such article that provides unfactual information to mislead the people of Kansas. Most of us know what needs to be done and those holding us back or intent on letting poor people die—because they don’t value such people.

Pix by Medical Daily.