State Sen. Stiles and her GOP colleagues cost NH $17.5 million

Last summer, State Sen. Nancy Stiles and 12 other Republican state senators voted as a block to defeat Medicaid Expansion. By contrast, all 11 Democratic state senators supported Medicaid Expansion, but their efforts went for naught as the amendment was defeated by the Republicans.

Had Medicaid Expansion passed 49,000 working poor would now have medical insurance at no cost to the taxpayers of New Hampshire. The federal government offered $2.4 billion to pay the entire expense of Medicaid Expansion in New Hampshire for the first three years and 90 percent of the price thereafter.

However, that offer by the federal government came with the stipulation that Medicaid Expansion must be passed by January 1, 2014. Each day, thereafter $500,000 would be deducted from the $2.4 billion total.

As I write this blog on Feb. 4, 2014, 35 days have elapsed since the Jan. 1, 2014 deadline. At this point, a total of $17.5 million has been lost to the state of New Hampshire because of the opposition of State Sen. Stiles and her Republican colleagues. We pay federal taxes; common sense dictates that we should get some of that money back when it is made available to us.

Medicaid Expansion can still be passed, but the level of support by the federal government will continue to systematically decline over time until the amendment becomes law.

Today, 49,000 needy Granite Staters needlessly go without medical insurance, hoping each day that illness or accident does not befall them and create medical expenses they cannot pay.