POLITICO – Haley Barbour’s mixed message on Medicaid

Haley Barbour’s mixed message on Medicaid

Haley Barbour doesn’t have many nice things to say about Medicaid these days.

The potential 2012 president contender says he hates having to come to Washington to “kowtow and kiss the ring” whenever he wants to adjust eligibility or coverage.

He says he’s frustrated with “people [who] pull up at the pharmacy window in a BMW and say they can’t afford their co-payment.”

And, he says, “Forgive me if I think people who work two or three jobs to pay for health care for their families shouldn’t be forced to pay for health care for people who can work, but choose not to.”

What he doesn’t say: As the governor of Mississippi, Barbour runs one of the most expansive Medicaid programs in the nation.

Politico
3/6/11