Bragdon Questions Medicaid Expansion

Senate President Peter Bragdon (R-Milford) told constituents Monday that he remains "skeptical" about the federal government living up to promises to fund Medicaid expansion, noting that special education obligations were never fully funded as promised.

Bragdon drafted an amendment to the state budget that rejects Medicaid expansion, in favor of a study of it. The House and Gov. Maggie Hassan continue to press for Medicaid expansion, arguing New Hampshire will lose millions and miss out on taking important steps to expand health care coverage for those in need.

During his stop at the Wadleigh Memorial Library in his hometown, Bragdon faced an audience of more than two dozen people, many of whom spoke in favor of Medicaid expansion.

There was some discussion that the Republican-controlled Senate wanted to spike Medicaid expansion to score a blow to President Obama and his landmark law, the Affordable Care Act. Bragdon addressed that during his remarks.

"I'm not going to follow some ideology," he said, "I want to be able to make decisions based on facts."

Those in attendance politely pushed back and urged him to consider the value of Medicaid expansion, and the state's ability to "opt out," if leaders so choose, down the road.

Matt Murray, a constituent who questioned Bragdon, said it would make sense for the state to take advantage, at the least, of those years in which the federal government would cover 100 percent. Then, he said, the state could voluntarily opt out. He and others pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that spelled out states could opt in and opt out of Medicaid expansion.

Bragdon responded that he is still not 100 percent certain the state would be able to opt out.

Medicaid is a federal-state program that helps pay health care for the needy, elderly, blind, disabled and low-income families and children. Medicaid expansion is being debated nationwide: 21 states have expanded Medicaid, 23 have said no, and six states are undecided, according to Bragdon's latest count.

Paula Garvey of Amherst spoke of a loved one with Cystic Fibrosis, and for others with the disease who would benefit from Medicaid expansion.

"I'm really sad about this," she said. "This is an emergency situation. This isn't something you can put off for three years."

Jillian Dubois, community organizer with the New Hampshire Citizens Alliance, appeared before the crowd ahead of Bragdon. She spoke to the comparison between Medicaid expansion and special education. She said the government has kept its promise on Medicaid since it was established in 1965. If New Hampshire does not expand Medicaid, New Hampshire stands to miss out on $2.5 billion from 2014 to 2020. For the first three years, the federal government would fund it at 100 percent, before the share goes to 90 percent, she added.

Steve Morgan of Amherst, who helped facilitate the discussion at the library, said New Hampshire stands to get $422 million in 2014-2015. Before Bragdon appeared, and before Bragdon said he was weighing facts and not ideology, Morgan was asked if the Senate's move to reject Medicaid expansion was "a political thing."

"Absolutely," he replied. "Absolutely."