Political debate heats up over expanded Medicaid ballot initiative

In Lincoln, there was a debate on initiative 427, which will appear on the November mid-term ballot.

It would provide health coverage to an estimated 90,000 low-income Nebraskans if passed.

The Lincoln Independent Business Association set up a debate to educate the public on this new ballot initiative.

There was a full house at The Graduate hotel for a political debate that was fixated on the Medicaid expansion ballot initiative that Nebraskans will see on their November mid–term ballot.

The participants were state senator Adam Morfeld and Jessica Shelburn, state director of Americans for Prosperity Nebraska.

Shelburn is against ballot initiative 427, she says it would cost the state money it simply does not have.

“If you look at the health and human services analysis of the ballot initiative, it is very clear that in the first year alone they are expecting it to cost Nebraska over 19 million dollars,” said Shelburn.

Initiative 427 would require the state government to provide Medicaid for persons under the age of 65 whose incomes are equal to or below 138 percent of the official poverty line.

In 2018, this amounted to an annual income of $16,753 for an individual and $34,638 for a household of four.

Even though the expansion would cost the state in the short term, senator Morfeld says the long term gains are worth it.

“We will see savings, we will see revenue, this has not only been proven out in the legislative fiscal office, it has been shown in 33 other states who have expanded Medicaid. 33 other states that are receiving billions of dollars of our tax payer dollars that we are not receiving and are going out to uncompensated medical costs,” said Morfeld.

Shelburn was quick to add that the state legislature has had trouble balancing its budget as of late, it would be a tall task for it set aside millions for the expansion of the Medicaid program.

“We don’t have 25 million dollars in the state of Nebraska. That is all there is to it and to think that all of this money coming into the state is going to make up for it, that just isn’t true,” said Shelburn.

Starting next year, the state of Nebraska will receive upwards of 50 to 60 million dollars in online sales tax revenue.

Senator Morfeld wants to use some of it to fund expanded health care.

“We can afford this, it is about creating priorities, we can create the priorities, we have new streams of revenue coming in, we just need to make it a priority,” said Morfeld.