When it comes to the topic of Medicaid Expansion, proponents tend to point to the overwhelming public support – “72% to 78%” in fact – or the benefits to rural hospitals. Those opposed point to budget concerns and act like this is socialized medicine.
As the Kansas Democratic Party’s Progressive Caucus chair, I want to remind you, Medicaid expansion is the moderate compromise.
Expanding Medicaid is the fiscally conservative and moderate policy action to take. The majority of states have been reaping the financial and health benefits for years, meanwhile Kansas has lost over $6 billion in healthcare dollars.
The Progressive Caucus of the Kansas Democratic Party stands by the call for healthcare for all and maintains that healthcare is a basic human right.
National opinions on universal healthcare have been in the spotlight for several presidential cycles.
Gallup reported in January that 57% of Americans support the government ensuring access to healthcare – and 72% of Democrats favor a single-payer system.
There are elected leaders in Kansas that don’t believe in healthcare for anyone. The progressive stance is healthcare for all, and it’s beyond time to meet in the middle and expand Kansas Medicaid. This is a rare opportunity to take bipartisan action on a policy that the vast majority of Kansans support, which means there’s little political risk to most all incumbents in the state on this issue.
In a majority of the state of Kansas, there is a huge risk to your life if you are injured in a farm or motor vehicle accident, or have a medical emergency like a heart attack. In fact, your survival rates are so low in southeastern Kansas that we had an entire day of continuing education for healthcare providers last year on the topic. That’s how poor our healthcare infrastructure is in our state, and it’s from lacking resources that we deserve.
The Kansas GOP has also introduced a bill proposing a flat income tax structure. Critics say this could set state revenues back immensely, similar to the Brownback tax experiment.
If the Republican leadership cared about fiscal responsibility, they’d stop trying to pass tax breaks for the rich and invest in Medicaid expansion. That healthcare access can save your life or that of someone you love.
Melinda Lavon is chair of the Kansas Democratic Party's Progressive Caucus and a midwife.