Federal Judge Skeptical Of Kentucky And The Trump Admin's Medicaid Threats
By Alice Ollstein | June 18, 2018 6:00 am
The first legal challenge to the Trump administration’s crusade for Medicaid work requirements came before a federal judge in Washington on Friday, where attorneys representing 16 low-income Kentuckians argued they would be unlawfully stripped of Medicaid coverage should the court allow the state’s waiver to take effect in July. The groups challenging the policy said the work requirements violate Congress’ original intent for the Medicaid program and instead are a mere cover for cutting tens of thousands of people from the rolls.
In response, attorneys representing the Trump administration and Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) warned U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of dire consequences should he rule against their new Medicaid rules.
Matthew Kuhn, arguing on behalf of Kentucky, pointed to Bevin’s executive order to terminate the state’s Medicaid expansion entirely, stripping health coverage from more than 400,000 people, if the court strikes down any piece of the waiver.
Kuhn claimed that “serious budget problems” mean that “the governor will be forced to withdraw from expanded Medicaid” if he’s not allowed to impose the rules, which are expected to save the state money by kicking at least 95,000 people off of Medicaid. “We are making sure Medicaid remains sustainable,” he said.
Boasberg appeared skeptical of this line of argument, noting that under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government currently reimburses states for about 95 percent of the cost of the Medicaid expansion if they opt into the program.
“Why are you attacking the expansion population, when the rate of reimbursement is much higher there than in traditional Medicaid?” he asked.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/federal-judge-skeptical-of-kentucky-and-the-trump-admins-medicaid-threats
Fuck Trump and Bevin....................................assholes.