Danielle Shingleton, a Certified Nurse Assistant at Student Health stocks informational pamphlets for students to take and learn about various diseases and conditions.
The Wyoming House of Representatives turned down the option for expanding the Medicaid program last Thursday leaving over 17,600 residents without insurance.
The bill, known as the “Healthcare Independence Act of 2014,” would have provided those who qualified appropriate wage deficits and coverage for patients with preexisting conditions who are unable to acquire other insurance. The bill looked to maximize the available service options and said it promoted accountability, personal responsibility, and transparency, along with encouraging and rewarding healthy and responsible outcomes.
Nationally, 25 states and Washington D.C. have signed for the Medicaid expansion. Along with insuring the general public of low-income workers in Wyoming, the bill was also looking to support Indian tribes on the Wind River Reservation by fully funding Indian Health Services.
Many state representatives and Gov. Matt Mead fear the federal government is going to fail to pay the 90 percent of costs it promised; in order to reach a compromise, legislatures are working on a bill that will enable them to cut off the insurance if the Federal Government does not come through.
Gov. Mead signed against the bill. In an interview with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle Mead stated that, “We have to do a cost-benefit analysis to see what the best program to get as many folks insured as possible, to lower the costs and improve the quality of care.”
Due to the fears many state legislatures have for federal overreach, Democratic Senator Chris Rothfuss of Laramie is attempting to salvage the bill by using loopholes.
The Wyoming Committee was recently scheduled to hear from a few members of the public who came to testify on behalf of the bill.
David Young, a 60 year-old man was an individual who came to testify in favor of the bill, told a compelling story about how he was employed until recently suffering from a heart attack. Since then, Young has been looking for work and came to the conclusion that he would likely make less than $10,000 a year. He described himself as a fiscal conservative and stated, “I am reluctantly one of those individuals that would benefit from this legislation.”
According to the Medicaid website an individual no longer qualifies for Medicaid after reaching the age of 19 years-old. Furthermore, that same individual is unable to qualify for the Affordable Care Act until age 21. If the young person is not insured by his or her parents and is unable to afford insurance they will remain uninsured until the age of 21. That is two years that they will live without health insurance.
Natawsha Mitchell, junior at the University of Wyoming, said she does not depend on her parents for medical care and covers cost on her own.
“I have to pay for my prescriptions and ongoing blood work and testing for conditions that used to be covered. I have definitely been hesitant to get care, especially for dental and eye issues that tend to be extremely expensive,” Mitchell said.
