The Medicaid Charade

USA Facts.org. Ever hear of it?

The media bias rating is dead center, an unbiased truth-teller. And here are a couple of stats for you on Medicaid in Arkansas:

#1- "On average, 811,900 people or 26.3 percent of the state's population were on Medicaid during FY 2024. With about 1 in 4 people enrolled in the program, Medicaid is one of the largest health insurers in Arkansas."

#2- "About 687,100, or 22.1 percent of the state's population, was on Medicaid in 2025.

#3- "(Medicaid costs) "… a combined $949.2 billion in state and federal spending in fiscal year (FY) 2024, the most recent data available. That's about $2,800 for every person living in the US."

#4- "Around $10,760 was spent per Medicaid enrollee in fiscal year (FY) 2024."

But, that's not enough, you see?

Oh, no, no, no.

For there is the state's request for a two-year extension of the expansion of the Medicare Program, also known as Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me, or ARHOME, which is set to expire in December.

And all the politicians running for Governor are on the bus as well, because, "No one was elected to Congress because he or she promised to cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid," as they say.

For it's easy to do: You just keep throwing money at it. But, don't be confused that it's some kind of upgrade or something. As the former Governor of Tennessee – Phil Bredesen – reminds us, "It's not health care reform to dump more money into Medicaid."

No … it's just tossing gasoline on the fire. And it's burning the U.S. taxpayer alive. Like Bob McDonnel – former Governor of Virginia – reminds us, "Expanding Medicaid without fixing Medicaid is a terrible idea."

Only, politicians aren't spending untold billions on it…we are…the taxpayer. So, they could care less – if that were humanly possible?

And the poor are not being encouraged to rise, but discouraged, as the middle class is being dragged down instead – just the opposite of rising social citizenship, the goal of any capitalist society – by draining dry the coffers of the national and state governments involved.

So, what do the three candidates for Governor think about it?

That was seen in the Tuesday Evening Times on-line edition recently.

Quote from the Times: "Libertarian Colt Shelby said the governor should take a lead role in ensuring Arkansas' version of Medicaid expansion is extended indefinitely."

Libertarian? Really? He's not like any libertarian I ever heard of.

Libertarians generally believe that Medicaid should not be expanded as it represents government intervention in healthcare, which they argue leads to inefficiencies and higher costs. If you think Colt Shelby is a libertarian, then I have a Mississippi River bridge I'd like to sell you.

Next, we have Democratic Sen. Fred Love State Sen. Fred Love, and his answer:

"The first thing we must do is, elect officials who actually care about Arkansans, not just by saying they do, but show it with actions," he said. "Having a state surplus isn't doing us any good, if lives are at risk.

"The Trump and Sanders administrations have offered 'no serious alternative' to Medicaid expansion, Love said.

"Their response to Arkansas mothers and families amounts to saying ;You're on your own. Figure it out,' he said.

"'This isn't a healthcare plan,' Love says."

Is he for any work requirements for compliance?

However, Opportunity Arkansas Founder and CEO Nic Horton, May 15, 2025, released the following statement in response to ongoing federal Medicaid work requirement discussions that begs to differ with Love's:

"Since the inception of Obamacare, the truly needy have been increasingly marginalized within Medicaid – which is exactly why our country so desperately needs a strong Medicaid work requirement for able-bodied adults. Unfortunately, as Congress inches closer to making this a reality, the usual suspects are working overtime to spread even more fake news about Arkansas's first-in-the-nation Medicaid work requirement. It's time to set the record straight.

"First, Arkansas's Medicaid work requirement was wildly successful at moving Arkansans from welfare to work. Based on actual data from our state's Medicaid agency, in just a few months, more than 14,000 Arkansans left the program because their incomes increased as they went back to work.

"Secondly, it is a widespread myth that the Arkansas work requirement was onerous, unfair, or impossible to comply with. In fact, fewer than one in five case closures were due to 'noncompliance' or 'paperwork errors' that opponents of commonsense Medicaid reform love to overstate.

"Congress has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix Medicaid and Arkansas has given them a proven roadmap. A strong work requirement should be a top, urgent priority."

Next candidate for Governor?

As written in the Evening Times:

"Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. In response to questions about how she would address Medicaid expansion, Sanders' campaign manager referred the Advocate to a letter Department of Human Services Secretary Janet Mann sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services earlier this month.

"Mann requests a two-year extension of Arkansas' current program waiver to provide sufficient time to wind down the existing program while developing and implementing a new system.

"Arkansas is preparing to implement work requirements for Medicaid expansion mandated by the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald Trump last year."

Or, we can keep on doing nothing.