The newspaper’s sage advice to Gov. Paul LePage about Medicaid expansion, “The first is the cost: There isn’t any.”

Ignorance truly is bliss. Somehow spending money we do not have on a program that has expanded beyond any rationale measurement is deemed by the esteemed newspaper editorial board as free.

Money and Medicaid are like meth and crack; politicians cannot get enough of either one and having both is better. Medicaid cannot be contained unless reality sets in on two levels.

The first is financial. States must be provided a fixed annual amount based on historical numbers with subsequent increases determined by population growth and cost of living increases as those used for Social Security recipients. This will eliminate the newspaper concerns of subsidizing other states. Crazy California expansions would be on their dollar, not Mainers’.

Secondly, insist on healthy lifestyles for Medicaid members. Medicaid does not and will not ever allow health measurements to be used in determining eligibility for Medicaid. So save the money being tossed away at developing health standards for Medicaid members.

Today an overweight, smoker with five children will receive 12 months of Medicaid benefits. Next year, that same individual, now with six children, will be receive 12 months of Medicaid benefits.

There lies the problem; reality and personal responsibility do not exist in Medicaid.

Bill Perfetto

Gardiner

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