DES MOINES – AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan issued the following statement regarding the Iowa Senate Human Resources Committee’s vote to expand Medicaid:
“On behalf of the members of AFSCME Iowa Council 61, I want to thank the Democrats in the Iowa Senate for standing up for what is right. Medicaid expansion is not only the right choice from a financial perspective; it is in line with the values of Iowans and Americans. It is the right thing to do for Iowa’s working families. When people receive too little care, too late, the costs get shifted onto hospitals, governments, and taxpayers. Iowans know that Medicaid expansion is necessary to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation.”
In Iowa, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 represents 40,000 public employees including law enforcement and correctional officers, firefighters, mental health workers, professional school staff, emergency responders, and many other workers. AFSCME Iowa also represents home health care and child care providers across the state and private sector workers at Prairie Meadows, Palmer College of Chiropractic, Des Moines University, ABM (Marshalltown), and Abbe Center.
Why is no one asking what it has to do with unions, public sector unions. Its payback for POTUS giving unions what they wanted under health care. Now with the increasing debt lets see if the Federal Government keeps their promise to fund the next ten years. Really guys 85 billion in the sequester is chump change compared to this cost.
very well stated LVS.
I have two thoughts on this. On one hand I don’t like to see any more people on welfare and that is what medicaid is. However, I disagree with Branstad on his proposal to expand Iowa Works because I don’t think it will work. Because you have to travel so far and it only covers a portion of the cost I just don’t think low income people will use it. They will just go to the E.R. like they do now and they will get treated and never pay a cent. At least with medicaid the hospital and doctors will get paid something. Whether you like Obamacare or not it is now the law, so, either stay within the law or change the law.