Kasich Defends Medicaid Expansion: We Should Help People Get Out of a Ditch

KASICH: "Yes. Well, first of all, I’m opposed to Obamacare and I’ve been clear on that. Medicaid has been expanded — was expanded by Ronald Reagan I think three or four times. In addition to that, instead of locking people in prison who have mental health, we give them treatment and keep them out and that saves us money. Instead of putting the drug addicted in prison and having them be released and back in prison, we treat them and we have a 10 percent recidivism rate for those people drug addicted. And for working poor, instead of us all paying uncompensated care when they go in there and they don’t have insurance, they now have health care so they’re not sicker and more expensive. Now, we not only save money by doing this, Chris, but at the same time, frankly, morally, we’re letting people get up on their feet and have a great life, or a better life. And let me say to you that conservative principles mean that in the United States of America, every once in a while, we give a helping hand to somebody to get out of the ditch so they then can live their God-given purpose. That doesn’t mean we just give them a handout. We also expect personal responsibility once we help them. So, you know, I don’t know what all these folks are saying. Again, our Medicaid growth rate some of the lowest. In regard to Medicaid, however, two points, one, we bring our money back to treat people here in Ohio because the federal government has no money. And, secondly, I would take a Medicaid program and I would block grant it empowering states to deal with those who are sick and poor in the way that they can so it’s not a one-size-fits-all mentality. So, it all fits together. And, remember, I was one of the architects of the last time we balanced the budget in Washington and we had surpluses for four years and we cut taxes and the economy was growing. So, what is there not to like about that? I don’t know."