Mail-in ballots have been sent and voters can fill them out and send them back. Utah State Senator Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, says it is important to not just make sure you are voting for the right people, but also that you study the other ballot information as well.
Hillyard says we hear a great deal about the merits of Medicaid expansion but he says there is also another side. In fact, he says he has learned that there are two huge problems with Medicaid expansion.
“Instead of costing $50 million, it costs $100 million,” Hillyard says. “It’s an entitlement program. People who qualify get the benefit.
“We can’t cap it, we can’t say we’re only going to pay $50 million or $10 million or whatever the figure is. We have to pay whatever shows up.”
Hillyard explains that the second problem with the proposed Medicaid expansion is that there is no future control of cost.
“Costs keep going up. Not only do you have more people taking it, but the costs go (up) more,” he continues. “They say, ‘for heaven’s sake, be prepared. If you do this expansion, although it may look good today, in a few years from now you’ll either be broke, raising taxes to cover the benefits or you’ll have to cut back the benefits because you can’t afford it.'”
Hillyard says it is wise to study all of the initiatives and other information that was provided with the election ballot. November 6th is election day, but mail-in ballots can be sent back at any time, as long as they are post-marked by November 5th.
The real problem here? Healthcare costs are unregulated and people can’t afford to pay for something that is a must-have. Calling people who want basic healthcare “entitled” is a pathetic attack on the needy.