SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Democrats appear to be anxious to relinquish more of the state's control to feds' rule by plunging deeper in Obamacare. As soon as Monday, the House will consider HB 6253 House Amendment 1 (HA1), which would pull in more federal financing of the state’s Medicaid program.
The Democrat sponsorship of HB 6253 is not content to provide Medicaid coverage for poverty-stricken, disabled and children and their parents. The federal government - through Obamacare - is opening the way for low-income adults without dependent children to be covered by Medicaid. The state is drooling for the $4.6 billion federal carrot dangling with the program. The program "makes a great fiscal deal for Illinois!" the Illinois Health Matters organization says.
HB 6253 authorizes Illinois to take advantage of the ACA to provide Medicaid to about 342,000 low-income Illinois citizens who are currently uninsured. Because of the ACA, Illinois can offer Medicaid to this population at no expense to the state for the first three years, and in later years the state will never pay more than 10% of the cost of this coverage (with federal funds covering the remaining 90%).
Perhaps Illinois Health Matters doesn't understand that federal dollars don't grow on DC trees. That they also come from Illinois taxpayers?
And that step by step, Illinois will find it impossible to ever back out of the federal entanglements, because those in power chose to give up state authority - and yes, state responsibility and decision-making - at every turn.
In addition, DHFS Director Julie Hamos used an email list of families dependent on state aid to care for their seriously-disabled children to encourage them to lobby for this legislation.
All is a desperate attempt to get someone else to pay the bills they can't afford.
