I Feel Bad For Those Hospitals.

         The New York Times has an article this morning about how the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, has eliminated special funding to hospitals so they can care for poor sick people, people with no insurance. How could the president do such a mean spirited thing? So I read the article to find out more. Turns out hospitals in those states that refused to participate in Obamacare, and therefore effectively blocking those patients from getting insurance, are pointing fingers at the president's healthcare law, along with those states, for this dastardly deed.
       Turns out the special funding is being eliminated by the Affordable Care Act because those poor uninsured folks will now have insurance to pay for their hospital visits. Now the law was passed before those bright red states decided to boycott Obamacare. Actually it was the Supreme Court that gave those states permission to do the boycotting. The thing is though, it isn't the Affordable Care Act that's causing these hospitals to suffer financially, it's the fault of the states that are doing the boycotting that should be faulted.
       It really doesn't matter whether you like or dislike the law. Since it's free to the states for three years and 90% free afterwards, not taking advantage of the program is almost exclusively a political choice. Those states could still join in the program or at least help those who want that insurance. So since the hospitals are struggling as a result of their states' intransigence, it seems to me the states should pick up the tab.
       I think those hospitals need to complain to and about the states, not Obamacare. By the way, the good citizens of those states still have to pay taxes, and whatever costs to the government for Obamacare, those good folks are still helping to pay for those costs. Still the argument is out there that the federal government should pay these hospitals in states that won't agree to participate. Why? The federal government came up with a solution. It's the states that refuse to accept that solution. Those states need to pay the hospitals if they don't like the solution provided. Again, it's a political problem created by those states.