Thursday, March 30, 2017

Medicaid stampede

Trumpcare's failure has set off a chain reaction of states trying to expand Obamacare's most popular program
But the apparent demise of the AHCA has meant that Obamacare and its Medicaid expansion, in the words of House Speaker Paul Ryan said last week, remains "the law of the land" for the "foreseeable future."That has produced renewed vigor for expansion in Virginia and North Carolina, where Democratic governors have announced plans to to try to push Medicaid either through executive action or legislatures. In Maine, the secretary of state's office certified more than 66,000 signatures collected for an initiative to expand Medicaid. It will be voted on by the public in November. 
This adds, ultimately, abut 50 billion to the currently planned deficit.  But, note the one year is rising, now at 1%, and GS will have a harder time keeping the senators at a 2.5% ten year. The worst stampede mill be wealth,

GS clients who signed up for the price fix.  If GS can't keep the bargain, this money will bet on the shutdown, then default, pushing the senators over the edge. And that triggers the rush to the exits in stocks as pensions exit to pickup yield. This is what GS faces, the debt limit is coming up, the date to cover two years of Obamacare loses is coming up.  These dates happen in succession, and we get another stampede of insurers adjusting to the result.

How long does this go on?
Forever, all federal government programs work this way,this way. No child left behind, that is still a volatile mess,  SDI, nothing but white noise, transportation? haul around empty steel cars.  Most of the Swamp, programs born in the delusion of 50 little obedient Hoovers.

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