it looks like everyone is running towards trump, away from medicaid expansion, which john kasich supported. on our site, it is not that fierce. we have disagreements, and for candidates, certainly disagreements -- can we have. candidates so for they are disagreements. i think that they will win with little to no momentum. they are dropping in the polls because it's a republican primary. the republican party tried to anoint -- they haven't had one debate. we didn't endorse. our view was that it is up to the voters. the irony, they have gotten far more nasty and wasted more money. it is chaos at this point on their side. host: an article from the new york times focusing on the democratic gubernatorial candidate. richard cordray and dennis versus left.t we have a line from democrats. >> good morning. david, we're putting far too much time into this russia issue and collusion, and not enough time being on the ground in our counties. i believe, and my fear, is that while we are all caught up in what did trump say or the tweets of the hour, that in fact, russians and people with high technical s

industry is located, they have seen an uninsured rate drop more than 60% thanks -- thanks to that medicaid expansion. so i just wanted to ask about the importance of making sure that we keep that expansion and making the importance of not letting any kind of cap or reduction under this discussion that we had, c.b.o. was saying that the previous proposals on block granting and changing medicaid might cut as much as a quarter out of medicaid over the next two decades. is that problematic, ms. martin, for rural? ms. martin: i think the a.c.a. expansion made a positive difference in the community where my service area is. i think in colorado overall we had an uninsured rate of nearly 20% and that's been reduced in my community down to low single digits. so the coverage for patients allows patients to get access to care. it's improved the financial bottom line of certainly our organization. i smoke earlier that 70% of our population is medicare and medicaid so our relationship with government payer is ritical to our survival. senator cantwell: did you say 70? ms. murphy: 70. senator cantwell: we love our

my opponent wants to take away health care from 700,000 ohioans by ending the medicaid expansion.s wrong, and i will fight it. >> is that a central fight in your campaign, medicaid expansion? >> it is a central fight in our xhan. >> is your opponent running on rescinding that? >> he has said that it will not exist if it is governor. and this is 700,000 people who get health care. 200,000 getting mental health and opiate treatment while we had an opioid crisis in ohio. it is the wrong move for ohio. it's bad for people. and i will stand and fight for that. >> how much can the state do about opioids in a state like ohio, which has been particularly hard hit and is a massive state and i know has really struggled to deal with the epidemic? >> i think we can do a lot. i think we can spread economic opportunity out because part of this is hopelessness in certain communities. we can restrict the overprescription of painkillers that are very addictive. we can use law enforcement to help get cocaine and fentanyl and heroin off the streets, which are the further addictive drugs that are so

together on a thertisan solution from affordable care act, much of which was positive, like medicaid expansionwe need to build on it. what's frustrating to me is that there are bipartisan bills in the congress that would take the affordable care act and fix some of the problems with it, but we don't ever take goes up and that's part of the problem. have heard is basically partisanship when it comes to health care. when this plays out in the election in november, when i go to the voting booth, what am i thinking about when it comes to health care? takinglaney: republicans it away from people and democrats putting forward proposals to take the progress that was made on the affordable care act, continue it, take some of the problems with the affordable care, and fix them. if you completely reform the economy, which is what we did with the affordable care act, for the right reasons, you should then sign up for years of fixes and that is where the government has failed the american people, right? because of partisanship. people want to put their party and the country -- they don't actually do their

we have a very low rate because we've really actively worked on medicaid expansion. it's helped everyone in rural oregon and urban because the uncompensated care has dropped dramatically, meaning our clinics are thriving or at least doing far better than in states that didn't expand medicaid. i was just in a stated that three rural hospitals shut down because they didn't expand medicaid and they didn't have the finances to go forward. so why go to a program that will produce the closing of rural clinics and rural hospitals desperately needed across america? >> so the affordable care act medicaid expansion as it is is an open-ended entitlement that is not going to be sustainable for us as taxpayers or for our government in the future. what we try to do is focus that on the individuals who now there is a significant disincentive towards the children, disabled and the aged in medicaid towards able-bodied adults through the expansion. it's basic math in terms of the incentive structure of how the affordable care act was structured and so we're trying to put medicaid on a

i mean, when rick scott first ran for governor, he said he was going to accept the medicaid expansion plan. and he totally reneged on his promise. if you look at health care costs in florida, people are hurting. people are really hurting in florida. the governor's job creation performance numbers are low. their wage increases are low. and then on some issues that are very important to people in florida, rick scott is trying to do a total makeover. so he was for drilling off the coast of florida. before he was against it. now he's pretending that, you know, he was against it. he was scheduled to give a big speech before the nra in texas. before the awful shooting in parkland. and now he's working to pretend that he's for common sense gun control. i can tell you the students in florida who were involved in that shooting. they are registering voters now because they're mad and they don't like two-faced elected officials. and that's what rick scott has been. and bill nelson has been fighting to block the republican efforts to cut medicare. he's been fighting to block the republican effort

medicaid expansion is not only about health care, it's about saving hospitals and it's about jobs. 50,000 jobs coming to georgia in the next ten years. those are issues that cut across demography and anmate voters in every part of the state. >> i interviewed you down in atlanta years ago. i think it was 2014 i think it was. and you were talking about the sort of the math of that state, the math of georgia and it's a little like texas in that it is tantalizing for dras because it does seem if you look at the math there should be enough votes to cobble together to assemble a coalition that can elect democrats statewide. it hasn't happened recently. what are you going to do differently? >> it's like having all the ingredients you need but you have to have the right chef. that's what we're doing differently, putting those ingredients together, this coalition of available voters including more than a million democrats who vote in some elections but do not vote in midterms. we lose elections as democrats by about 200,000 votes. my mission is to have a clear resounding message that is bol

medicaid expansion would cover more than 500,000 people, create more than 50,000 jobs, and savet 15 rural hos. >> woodruff: so, as we know, that all well be what you said, and you did win the primary, georgia is still a very red, a ry conservative state. donald trump won, beat hillary rodham clinton by 5 percentage points two years ago. can youin, stacey abrams, unless you turn back some of those democratic votede, ndent voters who went for donald trump in 2016 but maybe who had voted democratic before? >> i want every voter in the state of georgia, i want every independent-thinking voter, but i do think that georgia is actually a bluer state than people realize. we have an opportunity to turn outs voto haven't voted in recent years. they vote in the presiecntial on but not in the gubernatorial election, and we have more than enoughf those voters to win without compromising our values and pretending to be moderate to conservative appeal to a certain segment. there are places where we differ onoly, but, at the core of being a progressive in georgia, it's abo making surehat we're helping fa

you had accepted the medicaid expansion under the affordable care act. you had taken what was viewed as a more moderate position on guns , on immigration you shifted positions right before you got into the 2016 race. you were seen as someone who was more pro-immigration. iss is the model for this the kind of person who could win a general election. all of these things including you can't president obama that , there you present obama was a picture out there that found its way into a lot of republicans against you. let's dispense with this one right away. hurricanehristie: before thens president election in 2012. up to that point i had been the key note speaker at the republican convention. not only the keynote that in a number of places where i campaign for romney. nonetheless depending on your president obama and i spoke daily from the night of the storm, probably for two weeks and sent to -- sometimes multiply daily. president obama calls me in the -- asks me hows things are and he says to me, chris i know this may be difficult for you but i want to co

you had accepted the medicaid expansion under the affordable care act. you had taken what was viewed as a more moderate position on guns. on immigration, you kind of shifted positions right before you got into the 2016 race, but you had been seen as someone who was more pro-immigration reform, and people said this is the model of the kind of person who could win a general election. all of those things, including the fact that you hugged president obama in the midst of an international emergency -- mr. christie: you know that's not true. but we will get to that. we can talk about the hug, believe me. mr. axelrod: whoever hugged whoever, there was a picture that found its way into a lot of republican media. mr. christie: you have the picture? mr. axelrod: i don't. mr. christie: because we could show it. let's dispense with this one right away, ok? mr. axelrod: obviously a matter of concern. mr. christie: not a matter of concern, it just shows where politics are today in our country. so hurricane sandy happens eight days before the 2012 presidential electio

it looks like everyone is running to tromp away from medicaid expansion.o think you'll find people in ohio saying it is that fears. there are certainly disagreements. i don't think they are as divisive. the republican candidate is going to actually be winning with very little to no momentum. i think they are dropping in the polls because it is the talk of ohio right now, how nasty it has become. , they havecan party not had one debate. we have had debates around this state. we did not endorse. our view was it is up to the voters. is, this is a cause of that. there is has gotten more nasty. it is chaos at this point. host: an article from the new york times focusing on the democratic gubernatorial primary. left versus left is the headline they put on it. jaclyn is in cola hide desk a lot -- jaclyn, go ahead. concern, we are putting too much time into this russian issue and collusion. not enough being in our counties. i believe, we are all caught up in what did trump say, what was the tweet of the hour, in fact the russians and people who have high technical

abrams -- that stacey abrams can use to get past that usual feeling among white voters, is it medicaid expansiono you think it is. >> here is the thing that was amazing going back to what dr. johnson talked about with georgia and how people turned out. she won by 76%. if you look at the counties, well over 200 counties, she did well in places where people didn't think she would do well in, in very white rural areas. do you know what stacey did, she -- here is the thing about democrats right now running in 2018 is that we are on the right side of issues. the economy, the tax cuts that republicans did for the wealthy, that is completely unpopular, healthcare, protecting healthcare, republicans tried to take healthcare away from 32 million people. we are on the right side. what she did is she went into those rural areas and said, hey, guess what, republicans are going to try to take away your healthcare, we want to protect medicare, medicaid, social security. she had a nice amount of issues, many issues to talk about between jobs and education, she talks about education a lot, too. and it resonated

centrist and stacey adams in georgia who is very progressive as focusing on a similar message of medicaid expansionts. but our next guest counters that idea. reaffirming that cultural issues not economic issues are the driving force behind voters and that the democrats are caught in a culture war. pete: interesting. joining us now from the national journey is josh croscrosshaur. people vote with their pocketbook. wallet. you are saying in the era of trump, ther wrath the left they are looking at culture issues primary linchts absolutely. americans will be voting on values not their pocketbooks in 2018. on those values and cultural issues. the democratic party has rapidly moved to the left in the last couple years. so, you know, we have been talking about starbucks closing their stores to train people about subconscious racism. in politics you want to win voters over. persuade them to vote for your team. when you are telling a lot of swing voters that subconsciously that they are racist. it's a sure fire way to turn off the types of voters you want to win over. hot button issues, racial issues, it's

we think it's because of the affordable care act and the expansion of medicaid. here's an example of where the obama administration and one of its important initiatives as challenging as it is has made the difference in the lives of african-americans and white americans by giving them access to quality health coverage for the first time. >> ted is waiting in idaho. >> i wanted to say i'm glad to see you on television. we need a black president just like him, just like president barack obama. okay, they talk about every time you see donald trump he talks about how low the black unemployment is. he may have a little tiny bit of bringing it down. but i think that was because of previous presidents had been working on that. we need more black police officers, we need more blacks in civil government. and i think blacks are doing great overall. i'm glad of the black congressional caucus, blacks are doing real good. it's the best thing we can, we can't do any better. >> would you agree? >> it's interesting the questions about the congressional black caucus have come up.

those independents who know that they want progress for their family, want good education, the expansion of medicaidhelp for their small businesses. we don't have to pivot to conservative values to win in georgia, we just have to speak about our own values and have bold and detailed plans about how we're going to make it work. >> before i let you go, you can reflkt a little bit on your -- what it means four to be the first black woman nominated to be a major party, you know, governor from a state in the united states? i'm wondering if you can reflect on it, no matter what happens win or lose where you'll be from an emotional standpoint? >> well, i plan to win and when i win, i intend to stand in the said it sted of history. georgia is a long story in being first in a lot of ways, pushing civil rights, women's rights. i look forward to helping change the face of leadership. i want young women and men think about their futures to look at my campaign and know that they can achieve whatever they want. i'm excited about having the opportunity to be a part of that fabric. >> thank you for joining us on th

medicaid and medicare -- a lot of people in a lot of states did not have their chance to get medicaid because of expansionthese people sometimes cannot get the drugs at all, or they alter their doses by taking them every other day, cut them in half, do things like that. i do not think we should penalize all the people who need governments foreign because they are basically negotiating with a huge health care system and they can get the prices down. that is what we need to do in this country, have one big bloc that can negotiate prices for everyone and get the middleman out of the picture. host: when you are a nurse, did you see a lot of that in terms of people cutting their prescriptions in half or delaying every other day? caller: i do, and i am actually still nursing. i am teaching. i am 74 and teaching nurses and yes, that is still a problem. host: thank you for sharing your experiences. jeff merkley tweeting yesterday after the president's announcement -- another broken promise that big pharma will like. i am finding skyrocketing prescription drug prices with the choose medicare act which lets medicar

we think it is because of the affordable care act and the expansion of medicaid.e's an example of where the obama administration and one of its important initiatives. a difference in the lives of african-americans and white americans by giving them access to quality health coverage for the first time. host: on the line for democrats, go ahead. caller: i wanted to say i am ond to see marc morial television. we need a black president like him, like barack obama. they talked about how low the black unemployment is. have a have -- he may tiny bit in bringing it down. it is because of previous presidents who had been working on it. we need more black place officers, blacks in the civil government, and doctors. i am glad the black congressional caucus -- lacks are doing good. blacks are doing good. we cannot do any better. guest: it is interesting the question about the congressional black caucus has,. i would incur -- has come up. invitation ofthe the leader of the black caucus to b -- to this show. there are many members of the congress who are important positions. th

medicaid card. means the world to your ability to respond to the individuals who come through that jail door. if you are not an expansion stay, i would ask you to reconsider. if you have a ticket to the theater, does not mean you necessarily will like the show. there is a large science to service a gap. -- service gap. we have thought about what works for whom and what circumstances. unfortunately, when you walk through the door, you might not get that evidence-based practice. not deliveright with fidelity to the models out there. you are not always guaranteed. how frustrated it must be to the court to have them discharged, released, not engaged, not helped in any way. the last factor i want to highlight, that was underplayed in statements, individuals with mental illness get arrested for a lot of reasons people without mental illness do. they make bad decisions, hang out with the wrong people, are in the wrong place at the wrong time. we call that propensity for iminogenic.r i highlight that here to highlight the point, not all illnesses are alike. different strengths, different weaknesses, different needs. who among b

when she finally found treatment, he could only pay for with the medicaid expansion of health care coveragee republican repeal left families struggling to save their children from the opioid epidemic without a way to pay for treatment. another family contacted me, sick with worry from their daughter who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. keptepublican repeal vote them lying at wicked night wondering how they would afford treatment, doctors visits, and overnight hospital -- doctors' visits, and overnight hospital stays. these stories are painful to hear, but far more difficult to live through. pushedmpcare repeal bill 23 million americans off health coverage, shredded protections for those with pre-existing conditions, and imposed a crushing age tax on older americans. caused anxiety and fear and how did republicans responded? back -- a themselves backslapping party and said to the american people, "you're on your own." but the truth is most of us will face a health crisis we cannot handle on a rome. for me, that happened when my mother was diagnosed with alzheimer's and my father experie

let me just set the record straight that the decline to rural hospitals started long before medicaid expansion, after the trump administration of course. rather than blaming trump i hope we can set politics aside and value whether medicare, medicaid are yeelg and the h. communities. the purpose of this bipartisan hearing, you can't just -- i look forward to continue talking to our expert witnesses to be sure federal dollars are being spent judicially and wisely to help our rural hospitals and providers. we need to do that. i would like to extend a warm welcome to each of our five witnesses today. today we will briefly introduce you and you're set to testify. first we will hear from dr. george a pink, distinguished professor in the department of health, policy and management at the school at a school i. all -- the university of north carolina, chapel hill. prior to receiving this ph.d. dr. if i think sent doubt servicend planning: a ph.d. incorporate finance from the university of tractor-trailer. i -- i think senator grassly you can proceed with your introduction. >> before i do that, since yo