Millions of Poor Are Left Uncovered by Health Law

Blog #2

1. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/health/millions-of-poor-are-left-uncovered-by-health-law.html?pagewanted=1&hp

2. Category of issue: Health

3. Level of issue: National

4. This article concerns how national effort to extend health coverage to millions of Americans will leave out two-thirds of the poor blacks and single mothers and more than half of the low-wage workers who do not have insurance. Coincidentally, they live in states largely controlled by Republicans that have declined to participate in the expansion of Medicaid.

5. How does this affect individuals/families? This affects many families and individuals who are living in poverty and don't have the opportunity to have any type of health insurance. Many of these places in which are rejecting the expansion happen to be Southern states where the concentration of poverty are the most acute. A founder of the community health center model explains how it is the populations that have the highest burden of illness and costs to the entire health care system. Every state in the south except Arkansas has rejected the expansion which is affecting millions of people who can't get any type of health insurance.

6. My views: Personally I think what they are doing is really unfair to millions of individuals who are being left out in this expansion. I dont understand how they can't expand Medicaid to all states, especially those who are suffering the worst poverty. There are 26 states in which have rejected the Medicaid expansion and more of half of those populations are the uninsured working poor. You would think that they would put that into consideration before making up their mind a bout where and where not they are going to expand. It doesn't make sense how a state can choose not to expand when they know what population of their state is in poverty, it quite unfair and selfish to these poor individuals and families who now can't have any type of Medicaid or insurance when these are the people who absolutely need it. This is America and you would think that they would give people a chance, especially the poor. If we are trying to diminish extreme poverty in the future this is definitely not a good start. Blacks are especially getting the short end of the stick here because more of them are poor and living in Southern states, which happens to be the states in which are choosing not to expand Medicaid. The decision not to expand is also going to greatly affect the working poor as well, which in my opinion is even worse because these people are doing the best they can to make a living and many of them are hard working people. These hard working but poor people are in most of the states who are choosing not to expand which is unfair to them and their families. Hopefully before January comes around these states not participating in the expansion can think twice about their decisions and will change their mind for the people. It is disappointing me that Texas is one of the states that is opposing the expansion, especially when they have the largest population of hispanics in which most of them are in the low income area. These people comes to this country and work really hard, the ones who are legal should at least have the same opportunity as everyone else.