Friday Open Thread | Why Not Medicaid For All?

Posted on April 19, 2019 by rikyrah

Medicare for All?
Why not Medicaid for All?
I know that a number of Democrats have gone in on Medicare for All.
But, why not Medicaid for All?

There is a poster on Balloon Juice named Kay, and she has always argued that the greatest part of Obamacare was the Medicaid Expansion, because, if it had been fully implemented, it would have transformed the lives of the working poor, coast to coast. She lives in a rural area of Ohio, and she always comments about how it has been lifechanging for the rural White populace in her area.

These are people who had NOTHING, and now, they have access to healthcare. All around healthcare. It would have been an universal fact, save for the John Roberts Court, which decided to remove a huge swath of the populace from benefitting from Obamacare. So, then, we were stuck with states with Democratic Governors expanding Medicaid, while those with GOP Governors punished their citizens and refused to do so. Even as their states suffered. As their states gave up money on the table, because the Black President delivered on a healthcare plan that would help all, and they couldn’t give the Black President a victory, even if it would help their own constituents.

Is Medicaid for All the better option? And, if so, why isn’t it being pushed forth as such, except for the state of New Mexico.

I mean, you get more coverage through Medicaid -in most states that do it well, dental and vision are included. Unlike Medicare, you don’t have to by a supplemental package. And, unlike Medicare, the bills are taken care of, and it’s not a burden to the customer to come up with a % of the total dollars.

So, why not Medicaid for All?
Kay believes that it’s cause a lot of the left looks down on Medicaid as a ‘poor person’s program’. And, I can’t dispute her there. The GOP has been very successful in branding Medicaid with the poster children being Shaniqua with her 3 children by 3 Baby Daddies and Rosa Maria with her 4 anchor babies.

THE TRUTH of the matter is… in terms of largest PERCENTAGE of Medicaid DOLLARS given out…
The poster children SHOULD BE Bob and Emily Whitebread America’s Grandma and Grandpa.

Shaniqua and Rosa Maria don’t begin to get the amount of DOLLARS that Bob and Emily’s Grandma and Grandpa do.
Or, June and Joseph’s disabled family member.

I don’t begrudge ANYONE getting the help that they can get. Nursing home care is OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE..
And, taking care of a disabled family member is also very taxing on a family, not only emotionally, but, financially.

It’s just that THOSE GROUPS get a pass, while pushing forth stereotypes of folks no less deserving.
Medicaid expansion has helped THE WORKING POOR the most. Folks that get up everyday and go do work, SHOULD be able to have access to healthcare, and that transform lives.

I think more of our candidates need to look and study the outcome of the Medicaid buy-in that New Mexico has offered. And, now, Washington State is looking into implementing a public option.

I don’t think that we need to be wedded to Medicare-For-All. Just be wedded to the idea that American Citizens should have access to healthcare, and should NEVER be one illness away from financial ruin.

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99 Responses to Friday Open Thread | Why Not Medicaid For All?

  11. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 4:17 pm

    What happened to Muller’s Team’s SUMMARIES.

    Remember, they had done THEIR OWN.

    WHY haven’t those been released?

    Reply
  12. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 4:13 pm

    Who is this clown?

    The Mueller Report has become the left’s Benghazi
    The longer the left focuses on it as proof that Trump should be impeached, the closer he gets to reelection

    SOPHIA A. MCCLENNEN
    APRIL 19, 2019 7:00PM (UTC)

    It’s here. Finally. Or at least a highly redacted version if it. The long-awaited Mueller Report came in Thursday, leading to a virtual celebration among left wing pundits and politicians who clamored that there was now proof that Donald Trump’s administration is corrupt, unhinged, unethical and impeachable.

    But seriously, who exactly is surprised by any of the findings in the Special Counsel investigation? Sure, there are a few unexpected details, but overall there is nothing in the report we didn’t know already. The fact that we are seeing stories run that Trump went on an expletive-heavy rant when he heard that Robert Mueller would be hired are almost laughable. Of course, he swore. He does it on Twitter regularly.

    Wow, Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied! Who imagined that? Has anyone forgotten what she has literally been doing on live television every time she steps behind the podium?

    Try this exercise. Scroll through the headlines coming out of the report and ask yourself if there is any piece of information that has not already been covered in the press in some form. Then ask yourself why these headlines run like they have just discovered that the Trump administration is corrupt, unethical, unprofessional, self-serving and in total chaos. What a shock!

    Now, I want to be clear. I am not saying that the Mueller Report isn’t important. Nor am I saying that it shouldn’t be followed up on. What I am saying is that the glee with which the findings are being covered and debated is absurd. The outrage seems ridiculous. From cable news to print journalism, the coverage is too excited and too amazed to be taken seriously.

    And it is making the left look like the right did when they were obsessing over Hillary Clinton and Benghazi. Back when Hillary Clinton was running for office, the right literally could not stop talking about Clinton’s emails and her supposed failures as Secretary of State when the embassy in Benghazi was attacked. It was incessant. And it made the right look like toddlers refusing to stop throwing a temper tantrum.

    Reply
  13. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 3:50 pm

    Scott Dworkin (@funder) Tweeted:
    BREAKING: Senator Elizabeth Warren calls for impeachment #ImpeachTrump https://twitter.com/funder/status/1119340994531594240?s=17

    Reply
  15. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 2:26 pm

    Dayum.

    3 Years After the World Lost Prince, His Heirs Still Have Yet to Receive a Penny: Report

    Dara Sharif
    Yesterday 10:15pm

    It has now been almost three years since the world lost the musical genius, legend and icon known as Prince, but his estimated $200 million estate remains mired in all kinds of drama, with his heirs yet to see one dime.

    It’s a sad state of affairs (pun intended) caused in great part, according to financial experts, by the fact that Prince died at his Paisley Park estate from an accidental opioid overdose without having a will.

    When people die without a will, it is up to courts and estate administrators (usually law firms in this instance) to first determine an estate’s value. That can take years, especially when it involves an estate with the kind of assets (including money, homes, land, music masters, and more) that Prince appeared to own just at face value.

    Of course, while Prince’s heirs, his six brothers and sisters, may not be getting paper, at least one group is definitely getting paid: the lawyers.

    As USA Today reports, according to court papers filed by the heirs in hopes of gaining more control over spending, estate administrators have “spent $45 million, including $10 million in legal fees.”

    Reply
  16. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 2:19 pm

    Trump can’t let go of his preoccupation with Obama
    04/19/19 02:48 PM
    By Steve Benen

    Donald Trump didn’t have a whole lot to say about Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report yesterday afternoon, though the president did get around to sharing a predictable thought via Twitter: he blamed his predecessor.

    “Anything the Russians did concerning the 2016 Election was done while Obama was President. He was told about it and did nothing! Most importantly, the vote was not affected.”

    Nearly everything in Trump’s tweet was wrong. The vote was affected. Barack Obama did a lot more than “nothing,” and he would’ve done more were it not for Mitch McConnell’s opposition. The “anything the Russians did…” suggests Trump may still have some doubts as to the nature of the Russians’ attack, which is an issue that does not lend itself to skepticism.

    But routine nonsense is less interesting to me than Trump’s ongoing preoccupation with the president who preceded him. I thought it was at least possible that the Republican, in time, would stop obsessing over the recent past, but by some measures, Trump fixates on Obama nearly as much as Hillary Clinton.

    Reply
  17. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 2:16 pm

    The Democrats Whose 2020 Goal Is Grander Than the Presidency
    Future Now wants to build the next progressive era in American politics—starting in the states.

    RUSSELL BERMAN
    APR 17, 2019

    BROOKLYN—The 10-person team plotting the next progressive era in American politics is crammed into a small, top-floor WeWork suite near the borough’s waterfront.

    The group’s name, Future Now, is as generic as its glass-enclosed work space, surrounded by the start-ups, freelancers, free coffee, beer tap, and networking events that define the co-working experience. Exactly one block away is the building that housed the campaign headquarters of Hillary Clinton, whose defeat in 2016 inspired the launch of Future Now and so many other like-minded organizations dedicated to harnessing the fear and anger of the activist left.

    But you won’t hear much presidential talk from the crew at Future Now, even as the Democratic Party’s energy, operatives, and dollars flow into the free-for-all primary to oust Donald Trump. Future Now was inspired by Trump, but its goal isn’t—in and of itself—to defeat him. If anything, the organization’s entire raison d’être is to break the Democratic Party’s obsession with the presidency and redirect its focus back to the places where, Future Now’s founders argue, conservatives have amassed their most durable power: state legislatures.

    Reply
  19. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 1:45 pm

    This thread will make you 😂😂 and 😪😪

    https://twitter.com/notcapnamerica/status/1119276785731014656

    Reply
  26. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 11:22 am

    Thread

    Keep going (@evanvwk) Tweeted:
    Tonight I would just like to thank @docrocktex26 and all others who have emphatically asserted that Kremlin disinformation & propaganda aimed at affecting the 2016 US election was aimed at WHITE PEOPLE. https://twitter.com/evanvwk/status/1119102088699453440?s=17

    Keep going (@evanvwk) Tweeted:
    What is the common characteristic of the gullible fools that were swayed by the IRA/GRU дезинформация campaign? They came from every state, every socioeconomic bracket; they were male and female.

    What they had in common was whiteness.

    Keep going (@evanvwk) Tweeted:
    Look at the exit polling data. African-American voters backed @HillaryClinton overwhelmingly. They were not fooled by Putin.

    If we all did what @Ange_Amene told us to do and #votelikeblackwomen, we would not be living in this nightmare right now.

    Reply
  27. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:47 am

    Thread

    Elie Honig (@eliehonig) Tweeted:
    Nailed this. Here’s what Barr cut off: “ALTHOUGH the investigation established … that the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts.” Seems relevant. https://t.co/GcrYInN6PY https://twitter.com/eliehonig/status/1118901540931108864?s=17

    Reply
  28. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:43 am

    Please See Pinned Tweet (@JustAGurLnSwedn) Tweeted:
    Remember when they said… Just not THAT woman.

    They LIED, big shocker.

    Biggest Mistake allowing Bernie to ever run under the Democratic Party.

    He is TOXIC, and the worst thing to happen to politics on the Left, for as long as I have been alive. https://t.co/E092CtZoo6 https://twitter.com/JustAGurLnSwedn/status/1119262901238423552?s=17

    Reply
  29. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:36 am

    Yep.
    Phuck him 😠😠

    Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) Tweeted:
    Rosenstein’s willingness to stand there and be used as a prop in this farce makes me think less of Rod Rosenstein.

    I mean, unless Trump has kidnapped his family, he’s standing there, debasing himself, willingly. https://twitter.com/ElieNYC/status/1118875718056927232?s=17

    Reply
  31. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:32 am

    Petty_Shabazz 🌼🌈 (@a_for2day) Tweeted:
    I hear exactly ZERO of the white Male Democratic candidates talking about voter suppression and disenfranchisement. The victims of this are overwhelmingly the base of the party! What is the plan to restore the VRA?! https://t.co/U7tCJkLqGV https://twitter.com/a_for2day/status/1119060474824359936?s=17

    Reply
  32. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:27 am

    Tell it 👏 👏

    Propane Jane™ (@docrocktex26) Tweeted:
    If you think minorities will be energized to vote for a party that looked the other way because it was too afraid of the institution of White supremacy to avenge the voter suppression and robbery of 2016 plus the #crimingwhilewhite of the last 2 years, I have news for you. https://t.co/sBDE3XIOG2 https://twitter.com/docrocktex26/status/1119258397449363456?s=17

    Reply
  33. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:26 am

    Eric Holder (@EricHolder) Tweeted:
    ANY competent public corruption prosecutor would bring obstruction charges against Trump/and win. Only reason Mueller did not was because of the flawed DOJ restriction against indicting a sitting President. He said so (below). Congress now has a constitutional responsibility. https://t.co/SkntzjfS5G https://twitter.com/EricHolder/status/1119257878509096960?s=17

    Reply
  34. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:21 am

    👏👏👏

    Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) Tweeted:
    Can we just pause here to think about the countless people hauled off to prison — disproportionately black and brown, let’s be clear! — who would NEVER received the privilege of a prosecutor not throwing the book at them because of thier limited knowledge of the law… https://t.co/C6pCPDRKqW https://twitter.com/CharlesMBlow/status/1119047962209005570?s=17

    Reply
  36. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:12 am

    Mueller report paints cinematic picture in plain, ‘non-legalese’
    Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell discuss the readability of the Mueller report both in terms of the accessibility of the language and the drama of the anecdotes detailed, and marvel at William Barr’s brazen deception on the report’s messages.

    Reply
  37. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:11 am

    Mueller report shows many cases continuing, hidden from public
    Barbara McQuade, former U.S. attorney, talks with Rachel Maddow about how to understand the redactions in Appendix D of the Robert Mueller report, which lists cases transferred from, or referred by, Robert Mueller, many of which are hidden from the public.

    Reply
  38. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:10 am

    McCabe: Mueller reports ‘avalanche of facts’ on Trump obstruction
    Andrew McCabe, former acting director of the FBI, talks with Rachel Maddow about the Mueller report as an outline for the prosecution of Donald Trump for obstruction of justice, either by Congress or by the Justice Department once Trump is out of office.

    Reply
  39. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:09 am

    McCabe: Mueller report validates opening of Trump-Russia probe
    Andrew McCabe, former acting director of the FBI, talks with Rachel Maddow about the genesis of the Trump Russia investigation and some of the legal distinctions made by Robert Mueller’s team, as shown in the Mueller report.

    Reply
  40. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:08 am

    Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) Tweeted:
    The gaslighting from Trump and his minions is at thermonuclear levels, demanding that you all reach the *opposite* conclusions that are obvious in Mueller’s report. Wherever it says “the Russians,” they want you to read “American journos and spies who lied about the Russians.” https://twitter.com/RadioFreeTom/status/1119241585206669313?s=17

    Reply
  41. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:06 am

    Congress picks up Trump money trail Mueller didn’t run down
    Rep. Adam Schiff talks with Rachel Maddow about the House Intelligence Committee and Financial Services Committee looking into Donald Trump’s finances to ensure he is not under any undue influence, as well as looking into the intelligence findings from the Robert Mueller investigation.
    April 18, 2019

    Reply
  42. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 10:01 am

    This is Maddow doing what she does best.

    Mueller report a road map for charging Trump with obstruction
    Rachel Maddow describes the publicly released, redacted Robert Mueller report, with Volume 1 describing the myriad contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia, and Volume 2 as a road map for charging Donald Trump with obstruction of justice either by Congress or after he leaves office.

    Reply
  43. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 9:44 am

    Portia McGonagal of Winterfell (@PortiaMcGonagal) Tweeted:
    Oh look @MSNBC “road warriors” can only find White Trump voters to talk to AGAIN about the #MuellerReport . Apparently no non-White people anywhere have opinions. As usual. https://twitter.com/PortiaMcGonagal/status/1119234065524125696?s=17

    Portia McGonagal of Winterfell (@PortiaMcGonagal) Tweeted:
    Aaah now they have the Mayor of Stockton to talk about Black people below the poverty line. Because the only options in this country are : White Trump voters and poor Black people. No on else exists. https://twitter.com/PortiaMcGonagal/status/1119234445926551552?s=17

    Portia McGonagal of Winterfell (@PortiaMcGonagal) Tweeted:
    Thankfully, he knows that there are diverse working class and middle class voters who care about things like whether a President has a scintilla of integrity and / or is corrupt. https://twitter.com/PortiaMcGonagal/status/1119235179803893760?s=17

    Reply
  44. SouthernGirl2 says:
    April 19, 2019 at 9:01 am

    Hey Chicas. Haley tried out for Flags and made the team! Yay!

    Reply
  46. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 8:30 am

    Not a single, solitary lie told 😒😒

    Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) Tweeted:
    Obvious: The only reason we’re seeing even one line of the Mueller Report is because Democrats won control of the House in 2018. Period. Zero question about this. https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1119223148665286656?s=17

    Reply
  47. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 8:28 am

    Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) Tweeted:
    Dems – this isn’t hard. House committees investigate so the public understands what happened and they may in fact get additional facts and testimony in the cold light of day. Candidates can talk about health care and jobs. Walk and chew gum people. https://twitter.com/neeratanden/status/1119226013374930944?s=17

    Reply
  48. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 8:25 am

    Tiffany Cross (@TiffanyDCross) Tweeted:
    Anyone who puts #SarahSanders @PressSec on TV is knowingly putting on a well documented liar & clearly does not respect their viewing audience. PS- we’ve known this for quite some time. Hope y’all finally catch up. PSS- same applies to pretty much anyone in the #Trump admin. https://twitter.com/TiffanyDCross/status/1119225414566776834?s=17

    Reply
  49. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 8:21 am

    🤔🤔🤔

    She’s not bossy, she’s the boss. (@MCTW5) Tweeted:
    @T_FisherKing @chucktodd My kid the millennial / gen X who is living in the south said last night that his impression from people he comes into contact with, both in the under 25 set and regular people, is that Kamala and Beto are the two who can win. Pete was not on the radar and Bernie a non-starter. https://twitter.com/MCTW5/status/1119035646520127488?s=17

    Reply
  52. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 7:48 am

    🤔🤔🤔🤔

    Lynn V (@lynnv378) Tweeted:
    Knowing that Manafort provided information to Kilminik on PA, MI, WI, and MN, it leaves one question unanswered:

    Whatever happened with the voter data that Bernie Sanders’ campaign stole from Hillary Clinton? Where did that end up? https://twitter.com/lynnv378/status/1118985612990779407?s=17

    Reply
  53. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 7:46 am

    Uh huh
    Uh huh 😒

    Marcus H. Johnson (@marcushjohnson) Tweeted:
    Why did the Russians want to help Bernie Sanders so badly? How will his foreign policy further their interests? https://t.co/2U72cqEdS6 https://twitter.com/marcushjohnson/status/1119079606554742785?s=17

    Reply
  54. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 7:44 am

    Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) Tweeted:
    Again and again, Trump frantically pressured his aides to lie to the public, deny true news stories and fabricate a false record. They rarely challenged him, but when he pushed them to the brink of committing crimes, they refused. https://t.co/ZKU9EGmTMq https://twitter.com/PhilipRucker/status/1119035573438754817?s=17

    Reply
  55. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 7:33 am

    The Hill (@thehill) Tweeted:
    Erik Prince helped fund effort to obtain Hillary Clinton’s emails https://t.co/CdAt6CCI1n https://t.co/UzIEHqnXeW https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1119203248827764737?s=17

    Reply
  58. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 7:12 am

    Jonathan Capehart (@CapehartJ) Tweeted:
    Reps. Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows are a disgrace. Echoing President Trump’s contention that Mueller’s investigators were tainted is shameful. Saying it’s time to move on is beyond ridiculous. History will drag them and they’ll deserve it. @NewDay https://twitter.com/CapehartJ/status/1119210696523182080?s=17

    Reply
  59. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 7:06 am

    Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) Tweeted:
    In the “charging decisions” section after acknowledging key witnesses lied to investigators, Mueller concluded “the Office cannot rule out the possibility that the unavailable information would shed additional light on (or cast in a new light) the events described in the report.” https://t.co/7luCDBL34b https://twitter.com/JoyceWhiteVance/status/1118907103886888961?s=17

    Reply
  60. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 7:03 am

    Darth Kriss (@insanityreport) Tweeted:
    Independent voters need more evidence that the gop is corrupt? Have they been asleep for the last 2-3 years? https://t.co/Q7KY8R3cBS https://twitter.com/insanityreport/status/1119205507913396224?s=17

    Reply
  61. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 7:01 am

    The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) Tweeted:
    As the Russia investigation ends, experts see two years of American political dysfunction as a win for Putin https://t.co/nrlI1zJFfr https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1119206520032518145?s=17

    Reply
  62. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 6:48 am

    Hercules Mulligan (@johnvmoore) Tweeted:
    This is some white privilege because people with diminished mental capacity get arrested all the time. I agree ⁦@DonaldJTrumpJr⁩ is stupid but he needs to catch some charges https://t.co/OOkSySxkv4 https://twitter.com/johnvmoore/status/1119201960387850240?s=17

    Reply
  63. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 5:56 am

    Marcus H. Johnson (@marcushjohnson) Tweeted:
    With the information from the Mueller Report that the Russians helped Bernie in 2016, the natural question is will the Russians help Bernie in the primaries in 2020? https://twitter.com/marcushjohnson/status/1119082432752316418?s=17

    Reply
  73. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 2:38 am

    Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) Tweeted:
    As I stated last night on MSNBC, the American people shouldn’t have expected Barr to do anything more than what he did: protect Trump. Barr has been acting as Trump’s defense atty, not AG. Barr’s performance was outrageously disrespectful of the Constitution & the American public https://twitter.com/RepMaxineWaters/status/1118892689934749697?s=17

    Reply
  90. rikyrah says:
    April 19, 2019 at 2:18 am

    Good Morning, Everyone 😀😀😀

    Reply

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