Bronner calls Governor Bentley “Irresponsible” – Says Alabamians need Medicare expansion

Bronner in his office in Montgomery. (AP Photo/Phillip Rawls)

MONTGOMERY – If one can ‘read-between-the-lines’ ,Governor Robert Bentley was characterized as an “idiot” by Retirement Systems of Alabama CEO David Bronner, according to news reports of his speech to a Rotary Club in Tuscaloosa Tuesday. According to several news reports, Bronner was unhappy with the way Bentley is dealing with Obamacare, the new Federal Health Care Law that begins in earnest next year.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley

The Governor has announced that he will not allow Alabama to participate in the law’s expansion of Medicare and the Federal dollars that would come with it. According to reports in AL.com and newspapers around the state, Bronner railed against the 14 Governors (one of whom is Bentley) who are refusing to take part in the expansion program. He was quoted as saying, “These 330,000 Alabamians don’t have adequate health care. They get their arm cut off… they get sick… What are we saying to them by refusing to take this money?”

Bronner’s office was contacted by The Quad-Cities Daily for clarification. When we asked if the stories were accurate in their characterization of the speech, RSA media Representative, Mike Pegues said that the quotes, such as, (Bronner) ““To turn it down makes no sense whatsoever to me. It is irresponsible,” were quite accurate. Pegues indicated that there could be further information coming from Bronner’s office today, or possibly later this week.

Part of the Affordable Care Act expands Medicaid coverage across the country. Under the health care plan passed by Congress, the federal government will pay for the full cost of the expanded Medicaid program for three years. After that, the federal government would pay for 90 percent of the expanded program’s cost while states would pay for 10 percent, Bronner said. “If we can come up with $360 million (in incentives) to get Mercedes-Benz and $180 million (in incentives) for Airbus, there is no reason why we cannot come up with enough money to pick up $1 billion” in federal aid, he said.

In return, about 330,000 Alabamians without health insurance, most of them women and children, would be covered by Medicaid, Bronner said.