From Kate McKee, a former journalist and current Wasilla resident:
As a Certified Application Counselor for the ACA in Wasilla, I can tell you that although there are still glitches on the website, most Valley people I have helped are able to get enrolled in a plan for $0-$200 per month and have much lower deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums than they ever would have gotten without the ACA. However, too many people are slipping into the “Medicaid hole” because Gov. Parnell has rejected the Medicaid Expansion for AK. They don’t make enough (money) to qualify for a tax subsidy and they can’t get Medicaid because of Parnell’s decision. These people include a woman diagnosed with cancer who is fighting for her life, a woman who can barely walk (even with crutches) and she has no idea what’s wrong with her because she can’t afford the diagnostic tests, and two extremely depressed (suicidal) men who have given up hope on ever getting the medical care they need. If you want to help these people get the coverage they need to survive, please email Gov. Parnell.
I never cared much for Sean Parnell since he ran against Congressman Young. When Young named him Captain Zero, I thought it was so perfect. When he ran for governor, I couldn’t bring myself to vote for him. He has been very disappointing to me as governor. He needs to lbeing Republican doesn’t mean turning his back on the less fortunate and not caring. I bet he’d fire the DNR Commissioner if he screwed up and irritated the resource developm$ent community. Yet, he doesn’t seem to care that DHSS is broken totally. Let’s hope that Walker catches on.
Captain Zero love…
000,000,000s to the Oily Alaskans.
0 to the poorest Alaskans
The Medicaid Expansion wouldn’t cost Alaska ANYTHING for three years, then only 10 percent after that.
Parnell created the medicaid hole as a gesture to his base. Parnell’s true hatred of the other party and Obama in particular justifies to him and his base any harm he does to Alaskans. He and his family and all legislators have great health insurance paid for by tax revenue – not by him or them yet they would effectively sentence people to probably death after they experience financial ruin. These people with cancer and other similar conditions will go broke then become medicaid recipients anyway so Parnell didn’t actually save anything.
Again, Governor Parnell said nothing when like thinkers in the legislature just spent 30 million on the LIO which is what the Medicaid expansion would have cost. See how many millions he is willing to give to Trans Canada on his latest pipeline scheme. .