Roberts: Why support Graham-Cassidy if it costs Arizona $11 billion?

Here are 11 billion reasons why Gov. Doug Ducey should reconsider his premature support for Graham-Cassidy.

And 11 billion more why Sen. John McCain should stick to his earlier call for public hearings and reasoned debate rather than a railroad job that would shake the nation's health-care system to its foundation.

Arizona would be one of the biggest losers under the Senate’s latest health-care proposal to dismantle Obamacare, according to a new analysis released Wednesday.

States that expanded Medicaid lose big

Avalere Health, a Washington-based health policy consulting firm, says overall federal funding for health care would drop by $215 billion by 2026 – and after that, off a cliff – with the biggest losers being states that expanded their Medicaid programs.

In all, 34 states would see a drop in federal funding, the analysis says, with the rest getting a boost in federal aid. In Arizona, we would see an $11 billion loss by 2026. By 2027, the loss would be $19 billion. By 2036, $133 billion.

Translation: at least 400,000 low-income Arizonans could immediately kiss their health-insurance goodbye with more to come. Many more to come.

And that’s before you even consider what happens to the cost of health insurance for people who have pre-existing conditions.

Senate leaders are pushing for a vote on Graham-Cassidy by Sept. 30 in their zeal to get something, anything, done this year.

Never mind that it's a disaster for Arizona.

Why support losing so much money?

Fortunately, there are a few governors (read: not ours) who are standing up to this fast-track railroad job. Republican Govs. John Kasich of Ohio and Brian Sandoval of Nevada and independent Gov. Bill Walker of Alaska are among a group of 10 governors who are urging the Senate “not to consider” the bill.

Of course, Ohio, Nevada and Alaska would lose federal funding under the bill.

Meanwhile, in Arizona … oh, wait a minute.

It’s curious that Ducey is enthusiastic in his support for a bill that would result in his state losing $11 billion over the next decade. 

“Congress has 12 days to say ‘yes’ to Graham-Cassidy,” he tweeted on Monday. “It’s time for them to get the job done.”

It’s curious that he didn’t wait for any analysis of how the bill would affect his constituents. Curious that he doesn’t seem concerned about the disaster headed toward not only lower income families but straight at the hospitals that will be stuck once again with picking up the tab for uninsured patients if this bill passes.

There is, of course, one plus to Ducey’s early endorsement of Graham-Cassidy. It’ll score him big points with Republican Party leaders who are hoping Ducey’s endorsement leads to a crucial yes vote from McCain.

Oh sure, the bill may devastate the state.

But that endorsement should do wonders for the political ambitions of a certain southwestern governor.

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