Dear Editor,
The people of Wyoming need to urge that our legislature expand Medicaid. Obamacare was intended to extend health insurance to most of the 50 million US citizens who did not have affordable healthcare. The expansion of Medicaid Is part of that law and was intended to extend affordable health insurance to low income, single adults who do not have health insurance now.
Our Wyoming Health Department was tasked with coming up with an acceptable Medicaid expansion solution. The SHARE program, which they have proposed, is a workable compromise which has been provisionally approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services. Despite the foot dragging by our legislature, expanding Medicaid right now would also still save our state millions of dollars.
Unfortunately the Joint Labor, Health, and Social Services Committee recently rejected the SHARE program proposed by the Health Department in favor of a Medicaid expansion program proposed by Sen. Charles Scott. This program has not been thoroughly researched, may cost our state more money, not less money, is somewhat punitive, and may not be approved by.
A majority of the 17,600 low income adults in Wyoming are working. They fall into the coverage gap because they do not make enough money to qualify for subsidies.
They are people like you and me and are as deserving of affordable healthcare as we are. Please take the time to strongly urge your legislators to vote for the SHARE program for the expansion of Medicaid as proposed by the Wyoming Health Department.
Eric J Wedell, MD
Cheyenne
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