Health reform expensive for Maryland - baltimoresun.com

Health reform expensive for Maryland - baltimoresun.com: "Tucked into the newly enacted federal health care legislation is a mandate that states expand Medicaid, which will cost Maryland hundreds of millions of dollars. But Gov. Martin O'Malley declared in a recent speech that this bill will actually save the state money. Considering that in the same speech, he also bragged about the state's health care programs — without noting their significant problems — perhaps his judgment isn't all that reliable. Just as the state's 2008 Medicaid expansion (championed by Mr. O'Malley) has been a burden on the state's budget, so too will be this health care legislation.

In hailing the passage of federal health care legislation, Governor O'Malley claimed it 'will build on our progress' in Maryland. Of course, he defines 'progress' in terms of legislation he has championed. Two of the initiatives he mentioned — Medicaid expansion and a health insurance partnership with small businesses — are good examples of why government should not be in the health care business."