Gov. Scott Walker is defending his decision to reject federal funding to cover health insurance for those who don't qualify for Medicaid.
Walker is also optimistic about current efforts in Congress to delay the implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act. Speaking at the annual conference of the Wisconsin Counties Association, Walker said despite the association's calls for him to accept the federal Medicaid dollars, he's standing by his own plan that he thinks will be more effective.
“With our plan to insure that everybody living in poverty … For the first time in the state's history, everyone living in poverty will be covered by Medicaid. Under the state’s plan, we'll reduce the number of people uninsured. And yet we’ll still have fewer people on Medicaid and we'll transition more people into the marketplace, which I think is good all the way around.”
Walker is a long-time opponent of the federal health care reform act, but he's opposed to the current effort of Republicans in Congress to force a government shutdown if they can't win a vote to defund the program.
“I believe that government at the state and federal level is too big and I am trying to make it narrower and focused so that it directly affects the things that people care about. But I also believe that the government that we have that we have left after that – making it more efficient – should work. And I don't think shutting the government down is a good way to show you can make anything work.”
Walker said the new health insurance exchanges scheduled to begin next week are causing uncertainty among employers in the state; he's hoping a compromise can be reached that would slow the process down.
“Anything that would in some way postpone that from going into effect, just as the national economy is slowly starting to improve, is important,” he said.
On Wednesday, Congress is scheduled to take a test vote on defunding the health care act without shutting down the government.
