I fully support the expansion of Medicaid in Alaska. The reason is quite simple: 40,000 of my fellow Alaskans will receive health care coverage. How can this be a bad thing? I have heard so many excuses from legislators. One of my favorites is “we don’t trust the federal government to uphold its end of the deal.” Really? Legislators certainly don’t feel that way when the feds offer 90 percent of the funding for highways in Alaska! So why the hand-wringing over expanding Medicaid? Most of it is political posturing; however, when it comes to the health and well-being of 40,000 Alaskan citizens, this is not the time or place for nonsense. It’s time to act.
As a person of faith and an advocate for equality and justice, I firmly believe expanding Medicaid is not only the right thing to do, but a moral imperative. I could write about the cost savings to hospital budgets and state coffers, but that is a given. Every member of the legislature should stand with Governor Walker so that 40,000 of our fellow Alaskans can gain access to Medicaid coverage. By supporting expansion, thousands of Alaskans will have their own doctor for routine and preventative health care and no longer worry that an illness or accident could result in insurmountable medical bills. This is America; nobody should ever have to live in fear of getting sick or being in an accident because he or she doesn’t have medical insurance! Every legislator who claims to be pro-life, here’s your chance to prove it. Expand Medicaid now.