Industry Groups Give Up On Medicaid Expansion In Big Blow To Obamacare

TPM reports:

There are growing signs at the state level that key health care industry players in the push to expand Medicaid under Obamacare are calling it quits for now, pessimistic about getting new legislation passed in the current political environment.

Support for Medicaid expansion from within the health care industry -- in particular from providers like hospitals, doctors and nursing homes -- is a key part of the coalition that Obamacare advocates have hoped will help eventually turn the tide in the non-expanding Republican-dominated states.

But top officials for powerful trade organizations in three of the largest states not expanding Medicaid under Obamacare told TPM that they have effectively given up that fight until political conditions change, setting their sights on 2015 at the earliest.

"What I'm really struggling with is -- I don't even know how to talk about expanding Medicaid without just pissing Republicans the hell off and making them think I'm part of the problem," said a top official for one of the industry groups, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly about the political reality in their state and avoid upsetting the chances of expansion in the long term.

The struggles of modern day fascism in America.