Obamacare Archives - Voice For Liberty

Apr

Kansas House voting on Medicaid expansion

Here's a table of the three votes taken in the Kansas House of Representatives in February and April on HB 2044, titled "Establishing the KanCare bridge to a healthy Kansas program and providing medicaid reimbursement for clubhouse rehabilitation services." Medicaid expansion, in other words. This expansion is a key part of Obamacare, but not all states have not adopted the plan. Vote 3 on April 3 was to override the governor's veto. 84 votes are required for a successful override. If you're interested in contacting your legislators on this issue, click on House Roster and Senate Roster. To find the…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Kansas House voting on Medicaid expansion

There has been another vote on this bill, and the table has been updated. Click here. Here's a table of the two votes taken in the Kansas House of Representatives in February on HB 2044, titled "Establishing the KanCare bridge to a healthy Kansas program and providing medicaid reimbursement for clubhouse rehabilitation services." Medicaid expansion, in other words. This expansion is a key part of Obamacare, but not all states have not adopted the plan. If you're interested in contacting your legislators on this issue, click on House Roster and Senate Roster. To find the district numbers you live in,…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Kansas Senate voting on Medicaid expansion

Here's a table of the two votes taken in the Kansas Senate this week on HB 2044, titled "Establishing the KanCare bridge to a healthy Kansas program and providing medicaid reimbursement for clubhouse rehabilitation services." Medicaid expansion, in other words. This expansion is a key part of Obamacare, but not all states have not adopted the plan. Reporting on this issue from The Sentinel is at Senate Advances Medicaid Expansion Proposal. If you're interested in contacting your legislators on this issue, click on House Roster and Senate Roster. To find the district numbers you live in, use Locate Your Polling…

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Expanding Medicaid in Kansas

Expanding Medicaid in Kansas would be costly, undoubtedly more costly than estimated, has an uncertain future, and doesn't provide very good results for those it covers. Providing testimony to the Kansas House Committee on Health and Social Services, Michael Tanner advised legislators, "Medicaid expansion, however, is a risky gamble, that is almost certain to cost more than you are currently budgeting, while providing surprisingly little to the poor in terms of improved access to health care." Tanner is Senior Fellow at Cato Institute. The bill in question is HB 2064, titled "Establishing the KanCare bridge to a healthy Kansas program."…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Year in Review: 2016

Here are highlights from Voice for Liberty for 2016. Was it a good year for the principles of individual liberty, limited government, economic freedom, and free markets in Wichita and Kansas? Also be sure to view the programs on WichitaLiberty.TV for guests like journalist, novelist, and blogger Bud Norman; Radio talk show host Joseph Ashby; David Bobb, President of Bill of Rights Institute; Heritage Foundation trade expert Bryan Riley; Radio talk show host Andy Hooser; Keen Umbehr; John Chisholm on entrepreneurship; James Rosebush, author of "True Reagan," Jonathan Williams of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC); Gidget Southway, or Danedri Herbert;…

Inspector General evaluates Obamacare website

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Inspector General evaluates Obamacare website

The HHS Inspector General has released an evaluation of the Obamacare website HealthCare.gov, shedding light on the performance of former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. The Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services has released a report titled HealthCare.gov: Case Study of CMS Management of the Federal Marketplace. An excerpt from the executive summary holds the main points: What We Found The development of HealthCare.gov faced a high risk of failure, given the technical complexity required, the fixed deadline, and a high degree of uncertainty about mission, scope, and funding. Still, we found that HHS and…

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Medicaid found to increase, not decrease, emergency room usage

Those who continue to call for the expansion of Medicaid in Kansas should be aware of this astonishing finding, which contrary to what the conventional wisdom has told us about health care. For years, it has been the number one talking point of Obamacare supporters. People who are uninsured end up getting costly care from hospitals’ emergency rooms. “Those of us with health insurance are also paying a hidden and growing tax for those without it -- about $1,000 per year that pays for [the uninsureds’] emergency room and charitable care,” said President Obama in 2009. Obamacare, the President told…

Jul

By Bob Weeks

American Hospital Association supports Kansas Sen. Roberts

When the American Hospital Association decided to support one of the candidates for United States Senator from Kansas, the chosen candidate, Pat Roberts, took pride in the endorsement. And, who wouldn't be proud? American hospitals? Who isn't in favor of good hospitals for Americans? As it turns out, AHA is a special interest group. It is a major spender on lobbying and campaign contributions. It is a major supporter of Obamacare. Through 2013, AHA has spent $259,067,349 on lobbying. It lobbies in favor of its members and against potential competitors, such as doctor-owned hospitals. Reporting on an aspect of the…

Did Rep. Mike Pompeo vote to fund Obamacare?

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Did Rep. Mike Pompeo vote to fund Obamacare?

A television ad by Todd Tiahrt claims that Mike Pompeo voted seven times to fund Obamacare. What are the facts about those bills? The seven bills referenced in the Tiahrt ad are appropriations bills that fund numerous departments and agencies of the federal government. Three of the bills were to fund the operations of government for as little as one week. One bill was 475 pages in length. Most passed with broad support of Republicans, including the Kansas delegation. Some reduced funding that had been authorized by the previous Congress. Somewhere deep within these bills there may be funding that…

Shame, says Wichita Eagle editorial board

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Shame, says Wichita Eagle editorial board

The Wichita Eagle editorial board, under the byline of Rhonda Holman, issued a stern rebuke to the Kansas Legislature for its passage of HB 2506 over the weekend. (Eagle editorial: Shame on Legislature, April 8, 2014) Here are some notes on a few of Holman's points. She wrote that the legislature should not "undermine teachers’ rights and meddle in education policymaking." First: There's controversy over what the bill actually means to the relationship between teachers and their employers. Courts will probably have to intervene. Second: Should the Legislature have a say in policy, or just pay? Then, she criticized the…