About Medicaid

Insights on Medicaid in Alabama

Dr. David G. Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama

1.      Georgia is projected to get 70,000 new jobs from Medicaid expansion. Since Alabama has roughly half the population as Georgia, Medicaid expansion could generate 35,000 new jobs for our state. Even if this only created 17,500 new jobs, that would still be the largest influx of new jobs in Alabama’s history.

2.      $15-17 billion coming into our economy is a big deal that helps all 67 counties with the federal government  paying 90% of it. 

3.      If someone comes to you and says invest $1 billion ($771 million) and gives you $15 billion back, it is a great deal. I’ll take that deal all day long.

4.      Our $771 million to $1 billion investment will result in the state getting over $1.7 billion in tax revenue, generate tens of thousands of jobs and help over 300,000 women and children in need. I am speaking up for those 300,000 women and children in need.

5.      Most governors in the US, including Florida’s Rick Scott, and Arizona’s Jan Brewer   plus NJ’s Chris Christie, who will likely be the Republican frontrunner in 2016, have all agreed to take the money. Governor Scott said,”looking at the numbers, there’s no way to pass this up.”

6.      Everybody talks about wanting to help poor people in the Black Belt. That’s where most of the new jobs will be going.

7.      We invested $380 million in Mercedes for an initial 1,000 jobs, which has now grown to around 4,000 to 5,000 jobs. Airbus is creating an initial 1,000 new jobs. No economic development investment in the world will bring us 35,000 new jobs, which we could conceivably have with Medicaid, if we got the same percentage as Georgia. But, if we got 10,000 or 15,000 new jobs, that would be the largest influx ever in Alabama’s history. Only government has the ability to produce jobs on that scale.

8.       Get over it. Let’s do what is right and responsible for Alabama and its citizens.