NH Gets Shafted by Senate Dems Health Care Bill

NH GETS SHAFTED BY SENATE DEMS HEALTH CARE BILL

Lynch And Shaheen Silent As Dems’ Backroom Deal Gives Nebraska Free Medicaid, Sticks NH With Higher Taxes And Deficits

CONCORD – The state of New Hampshire will be saddled with over $1 billion in additional Medicaid costs over the next 10 years while the state of Nebraska won’t pay an additional dime under the health care legislation released by Senate Democrats this weekend (Politico, 12/19). The unfair arrangement is the result of a seedy political payoff for Senator Ben Nelson’s (D-NE) vote that was supported by New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D).

Under the Democrats’ plan, Vermont would also receive $600 million in special Medicaid funding while Massachusetts would receive an extra $500 million (Politico, 12/19/09). Pennsylvania, New York and Florida will win millions of dollars worth of additional protections for their Medicaid Advantage beneficiaries (Politico, 12/19/09). New Hampshire gets nothing out of the deal except disastrous unfunded federal mandates that will result in job-killing broad based taxes.

“Senator Shaheen sat on her hands and Governor Lynch kept his mouth shut while the Democrats’ jammed this reckless health care bill through the Senate. Now, New Hampshire will be saddled with over $1 billion in additional Medicaid costs that will devastate the state budget and lead to a job-killing income tax.” said NHGOP Communications Director Ryan Williams. “Jeanne Shaheen and John Lynch have let down their constituents by refusing to stand up for taxpayers and protect New Hampshire from this disastrous legislation.”

Senator Nelson claimed that he fought for the additional Medicaid funding for Nebraska because of concerns raised by his state’s governor.

“U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson says it was the concern of Nebraska’s Republican governor over expanded Medicaid costs in the proposed Senate health care overhaul bill that led to a compromise to cover his home state’s estimated $45 million share over a decade,” reports the Associated Press (12/20/09).

In New Hampshire, Governor Lynch has failed to raise any concerns about the legislation despite repeated warnings from the Republican Leadership in the NH House and Senate about the additional Medicaid costs. Last week, Senator Republican Leader Peter Bragdon and House Republican Leader Sherm Packard sent a letter to Governor Lynch and Senator Shaheen urging them to stand up for New Hampshire by opposing this budget busting health care agenda (Fosters Daily Democrat, 12/15/09).

###

NH GOP