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CAUSES.
TODAY IT'S THE FISCAL DEBATE,
TOMORROW IT WILL BE THE FISCAL
CLIFF, THE DEBT CLIFF.
THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CRISIS
TOMORROW.
>> GOVERNOR, LET'S TALK ABOUT
HEALTH CARE FOR A SECOND.
ABOUT 20% OF YOUR STATE DOES NOT
HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE.
WHAT'S THE SOLUTION THERE AND
WHY WOULDN'T YOU TAKE OBAMA CARE
MONEY TO EXPAND MEDICAID TO
PROVIDE INSURANCE FOR THEM?
>> LOOK, IN OUR STATE, 3.5% OF
OUR CHILDREN ARE UNINSURED.
WE HAVE A 96.5% INSURED RATE FOR
OUR CHILDREN THROUGH PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE PROGRAMS.
WE ARE THE ONLY STATE IN THE
COUNTRY THAT'S OPERATED A UNIQUE
SYSTEM OF HOSPITALS.
WE TRANSFORMED THOSE THROUGH
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO
PROVIDE A BETTER SAFETY NET.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT WAS RIGHT.
THERE ARE REAL PROBLEMS IN
HEALTH CARE.
IF YOU HAVE A PRE-EXISTING
CONDITION, YOU'RE TRYING TO BUY
AN INDIVIDUAL POLICY OUTSIDE THE
GROUP MARKET, IT CAN BE TOO
EXPENSIVE, MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE
TO YOU.
I THINK THE WRONG THING TO DO IS
TO EXPAND THE GOVERNMENT'S ROLE.
IN MY OWN STATE, FOR EXAMPLE,
FOR EVERY UNINSURED PERSON THAT
WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY A
MEDICAID EXPANSION, MORE THAN
ONE PERSON WHO WOULD HAVE
OTHERWISE HAD PRIVATE INSURANCE
WOULD THEN BE KICKED OUT OR LOSE
THAT PRIVATE INSURANCE INSTEAD
GO INTO A GOVERNMENT-RUN
PROGRAM.
THAT MAKES NO SENSE.
>> STILL, 20% OF YOUR STATE
DOESN'T HAVE INSURANCE.
THAT MEANS COSTS ARE PASSED ON
TO PEOPLE IN YOUR STATE LIKE YOU
WHO DO HAVE INSURANCE.
THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE LESS
HEALTHY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE
PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS.
THEY WILL USE EMERGENCY ROOMS AS
IF THEY ARE THEIR DOCTOR.
THOSE COSTS ARE BEING PAID BY
LOUISIANANS.
>> AGAIN, WE DO SOMETHING
DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER STATE.
WE ARE THE ONLY STATE IN THE
COUNTRY THAT'S GOT THESE STATE
OPERATED HOSPITALS.
WE HAVE TEN OF THEM.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF
TRANSITIONING THOSE TO
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT
PROVIDE A SAFETY NET.
WE ALSO SUBSIDIZE OUT-PATIENT
CLINICS.
THEY ARE INNOVATIVE
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS,
CONSERVATIVE SOLUTIONS APPLIED
THAT DON'T INVOLVE THE
GOVERNMENT TAKING OVER HEALTH
CARE, DON'T INVOLVE A ONE SIZE
FITS ALL APPROACH FROM D.C.
THAT'S THE POINT.
I THINK GOVERNORS WOULD HAVE
LOVED TO COME TO THE TABLE AND
SAY THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY
WASTED IN MEDICAID AND DISH,
WHICH IS ANOTHER PROGRAM.
WE SPENT OVER $1 BILLION IN
LOUISIANA ON OUR UNINSURED.
THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO SPEND
THOSE DOLLARS.
>> LASTLY, BEFORE YOU GO, IT'S
NO SECRET THAT YOUR NAME IS
BEING BANDIED ABOUT AS A
POSSIBLE 2016 CANDIDATE.
WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE A
DECISION AND WHAT ARE YOU
LOOKING AT TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU
RUN?
>> THE ANSWER IS I DON'T KNOW
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IN 2016.
I'M HEAD OF THE RGA.
WE ARE FOCUSED ON 38 GOVERNORS
RACES BETWEEN NOW AND --
>> I BELIEVE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW
BUT I ALSO BELIEVE YOU'RE
LOOKING AT IT AND TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT IF IT MAKES SENSE.
>> LOOK, I HAVE GOT A
RESPONSIBILITY, WE ARE
CONTINUING OUR REFORMS IN
LOUISIANA.
FOR ME, AS I THINK ABOUT THAT,
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DO I THINK I
CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, DO I
THINK I'VE GOT SOMETHING TO
OFFER THAT'S NOT BEING -- THAT'S
NOT THERE.
DO I THINK THAT THERE'S A WAY
THAT I COULD HELP IMPROVE AND
HELP LEAD THE COUNTRY AND THAT'S
NOT BEING OFFERED BY A CANDIDATE
THAT'S IN THE RACE.
I DO THINK THE NEXT PRESIDENT, I
DO BELIEVE, SHOULD COME FROM THE
RANKS OF THE GOVERNORS.
I DO THINK GOVERNORS UNLIKE THE
FOLKS IN D.C. ARE IMPLEMENTING
SOLUTIONS.
I THINK ONE OF THE CRITICISMS
ABOUT THIS PRESIDENT IS THAT
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD TO HAVE ON
THE JOB TRAINING, NEVER HAD RUN