Branstad made wrong decision on Medicaid

I could not disagree more with statements Gov. Terry Branstad made in opposition to Medicaid expansion in Iowa. To turn down $800 million in federal aid to insure more Iowans not only makes me question his moral integrity but also his common sense.

I know many people who cannot afford to see a doctor because they do not have access to affordable insurance. They are the working poor, making not quite enough to make ends meet but too much to qualify for Medicaid. So, they wind up waiting until that potentially cancerous lump grows so big or that infection gets so advanced or that pain gets so unbearable that they have to go to the emergency room. That is the most inefficient, costly and impractical way to maintain good health. Often, they face a bill so large that only minimal monthly payments can be made to the hospital and, in many cases, the hospitals are not paid back in full.

Expanding Medicaid would not only improve the health of Iowa's working class, but also increase their productivity to their employers, diminish their number of sick days and improve the financial health of our health care system. As the number of low-wage, minimal benefit jobs in Iowa increase, expansion of Medicaid will become increasingly necessary as long as health insurance is tied to employment. It's time for Branstad to do what's best for Iowa.

Richard Oberfoell

Iowa City