JAKE TAPPER (HOST): I want to ask you, since Obamacare was enacted, governors of 31 states plus the District of Colombia have opted to expand Medicaid through federal funding, providing insurance to 11 million low income people. One of the Americans who benefit -- benefitted from the Obamacare Medicaid expansion is Carol Hardaway of Salisbury, Maryland. Carol?
CAROL HARDAWAY: Thank you. I have multiple sclerosis but could not afford insurance. Without the treatment or medications I need, I had problems with walking, with my speech and my vision. When the Affordable Care Act was passed, I moved from our home state of Texas because they refused to expand Medicaid, to Maryland, and within two weeks I started receiving treatments through Medicaid and am now well enough to work as a substitute teacher.
Senator Cruz, can you promise me that you and the Republican leaders in Congress will have -- will actually have a replacement plan in place for people like me who depend on their Medicaid? In other words, I like my coverage. Can I keep it?
TED CRUZ: Well, Carol, thank you for sharing your story, and congratulations on dealing with M.S. It's a terrible disease, and congratulations on your struggles dealing with it. You know, if you look at Medicaid, more than half the people who have been covered under Obamacare have been under Medicaid. And the problem is Medicaid is a profoundly troubled program. So it may be working well with you, but I'll tell you nationally the health outcomes under Medicaid are really poor.
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CRUZ: I'd much rather see a system where we can have millions of those on Medicaid getting health insurance, and the only way we can is if we have competition so that rates are lower so that you can afford to have health insurance.
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TAPPER: Let me just jump in, if I can. Carol, just shake your head, do you -- did Senator Cruz, your former senator -- did he answer your question? No, he did not. The question was, Senator Cruz, “Can you promise me that you and the Republican leaders in Congress will actually have a replacement plan in place for people like me who depend on their Medicaid?”
She got Medicaid through the Obamacare expansion of Medicaid. We've all heard you criticize Medicaid. What happens to Carol?
CRUZ: Well, what I said, Jake, is that Medicaid isn't working for millions of people, and Obamacare made Medicaid worse by expanding the wait lists by jamming more people on it.
