Fresh off his endorsement from a group of local not-governors, Scott Walker is crossing the border to talk Obamacare. We all know that Scott Walker is a man of conviction. He’s bucking the Kochs on sentencing reform, one of their top policy goals, despite being their chosen candidate in the gong show that is the GOP Presidential primary. He’s convinced that he’s going bald as the result of a carpentry incident. I contend that Bob Vila has presumably bonked his noggin at some point during the run of This Old House, and yet his salt and pepper mane remains resplendent, but I digress.
The one area where he really shines, however, is in turning down money to help provide health care for those that need it most. In fact, the second time Walker turned down federal money to expand coverage “is estimated to have a net cost to the state of more than $100 million in the current two-year budget. The extra federal money would have allowed the state to cover an estimated 84,700 more people through BadgerCare.”
The 84,700 people not covered due to Walker’s decision would make up the fifth largest city in the state, bigger than Eau Claire, Appleton, or any of Milwaukee’s suburbs. He could’ve covered all those Wisconsinites for only 40% of the cost of an NBA stadium.
You would have to assume that screwing over all the neediest working Wisconsinites and children would result in some pretty excellent results for those fortunate enough to have coverage, right? Well, you would be incorrect. What Wisconsin can give you is the highest priced Silver plans in the Midwest, and if you are a Wisconsin small business owner, you get to pay 15% more on average than someone doing the exact same thing in Minnesota.
So, tomorrow, when Scott Walker starts rambling on about block grants, selling across state lines, and bringing back high risk pools, know that what he’s prescribing doesn’t work.
