I’m certain that Marc Levy, writing for the Associated Press, did not intend to write a coma inducing article about Tom Corbett’s plan to bring Federal Medicaid dollars to Pennsylvania for the purpose of not using them. Writing sensibly about Tom’s plan is not possible as no one has been able to explain or understand it. Recall that the first Federal response to the plan was, “What the …?”
The essence of Tom’s argument is that it is important not to broaden Pennsylvania’s Medicaid coverage under the ACA, even though the Federal government will pick up nearly the entire cost. Who could argue with that? Corbett goes on to argue—try to stay with me here—that people who need Medicaid assistance are invariably infected with what is known medically as “moral deficiency cooties,” and are liable to infect the general population if the State doesn’t step in to prevent them from getting the help they need. Fortunately, the State can do that easily by creating restrictions and red tape as obstacles to the people who are least likely to be able to overcome them.
Got it now?