CBO WEIGHS IN ON ACA

The CBO says the SCOTUS’ ruling will make Obamacare cost less and cover fewer. 

Washington, D.C.-- It will cost us less, that's what the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says about the Affordable Care Act. And, get this-- it will reduce the deficit by $109 billion. That's billion with a "B." In its June 28 ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the bulk of the Affordable Care Act, but struck down a plan to require states to expand their Medicaid programs to cover residents who earn as much as 138 percent of the federal poverty level. 

As a result, analysts at the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office expect that some states will refuse to expand their Medicaid programs or will delay expansion until after 2014, when most other provisions of the law are scheduled to take effect. In those states, people who earn between 100 percent and 138 percent of the poverty level will have the option to receive government subsidies to help them buy private insurance on newly created exchanges. But those who earn less than the full poverty level could be left out, the CBO said.

Conservative and right wing Governors who are more focused on political outcomes rather than the health and well being of their constituency should be relieved of duty. The ACA was well intended-- but if GOP lawmakers want to play Russian Roulette with their careers and deny expanding Medicaid, they will have to deal with those consequences. It means more people will go uninsured and reinforce the fact that the GOP thinks healthcare is only for the privileged few who can afford it. Unfortunately, elected officials don't give a shit for poor people's rights-- evidenced by new polling and a book that was recently published.