Medicaid expansion is not free, not even over the next three years

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In the wake of Gov. Beshear's medicaid expansion, multiple myths have been put forth by Obamaphiles - including Beshear himself - touting the benefits of such expansion.

One myth which the states are particularly fond of is the idea that somehow, since it's paid for by the feds, expanding Medicaid to over 300,000 extra Kentuckians is completely free to denizens of the commonwealth. It's as if the resources to provide healthcare to families at up to 138% of the federal poverty level (granted, low-quality healthcare) miraculously came down from the heavens and came to rest right here in the commonwealth, just waiting for a sickly child or two to consume them.

Of course, as inquiring Kentucky minds know, the feds can't provide anything whatsoever to Kentuckians that hasn't been taken from someone else, and the resources taken to fund expanded Medicaid will in large part be taken from Kentuckians right here at home.

The fact that the resources are funneled through the federal government does nothing to change this fact.

In fact, according to a recent Heritage report, Medicaid expansion will add $638 billion dollars to government spending over the next 10 years, and that's spending from a government already $16 trillion in the hole and counting.

What's worse, by 2017, Medicaid expansion won't even be free to Kentuckians in federal fantasy land, because the state governments are legally required to pick up a chunk of the bill.

And all this assumes the feds actually keep their promises to fund the state's endeavors with your federal tax dollars. Who knows when the changing tide of politics will turn this whole funding charade on its back, leaving the states completely responsible for the even more bloated Medicaid catastrophe, and the hundreds of thousand of citizens made to depend on it.