Trump admin approves work requirements for Kentucky Medicaid recipients

[highplainsdem]

Source: The Hill

Kentucky on Friday became the first state to win approval from the Trump administration to impose strict work requirements on its Medicaid beneficiaries.

The state will require able-bodied adults without dependents to work at least 80 hours a month to qualify for coverage.

The state will also require people who gain coverage through the Medicaid expansion to pay monthly premiums, based on income levels.

Kentucky is one of ten states seeking waivers to require certain Medicaid beneficiaries to work in order to be eligible for the program.

-snip-

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/368733-trump-admin-approves-work-requirements-for-kentucky-medicaid-recipients

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. They wanna kill recipients.

[kimbutgar]

2. But what if there are no jobs?

How can they satisfy work requirements if there is no work?

I hope the backlash is swift and it becomes pitchfork time in Kentucky.

[SummerSnow]

5. slavery, they will require them to work for no pay

[Hortensis]

22. Nah. Slavery would be if they had no choice. Let's not diminish

what slavery is. There's been huge increase in real enslavement of displaced peoples who can't get o safe places. Tragedies and suffering simply unimaginable, to us and them also not long ago.

Although losing their healthcare would be a huge penalty for some, all affected here can say a big no to working. They do have that option.

Kaiser Foundation says 60% of Medicaid recipients who aren't disabled are already working. Interesting article, Understanding the Intersection of Medicaid and Work. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/understanding-the-intersection-of-medicaid-and-work/

Personal and bureaucratic obstacles to getting oneself declared disabled, mentally or physically, or legally recognized as among one of the other extempted groups, are going to create most victims, of course. We live in a college-level world now, and many people are having grave difficulties functioning in it, before factoring in illness of any kind.

[Blackjackdavey]

36. Pretty close to the truth

There seems to be a genuine shortage of basic information regarding public assistance and the like. For example, people seem genuinely unaware that there already are work requirements for a number of "welfare" benefits. In New York, there are work requirements to receive public assistance payments -- these work requirements were part of Bill Clinton's "welfare reform." Public assistance is $298 a month. Able bodied people need to "work off their grant." They work at local businesses, usually county run businesses, in jobs that they at that point don't need to hire someone at market value to do. Not at all slavery, but indentured servitude no doubt, and that is in New York. Who knows what has been going on elsewhere.

[titaniumsalute]

3. Well I suppose this means fewer Trump voters

Why is he trying to kill his own voters in Kentucky??

[Gore1FL]

6. I don't know about that, necessarily.

I be a good number of those being screwed probably support it for the same reasons they support tax cuts for billionaires.

[RKP5637]

27. They won't know the difference. They will be told it's Obama's fault or some nonsense and will

believe it all the way to their grave.

[withoutapaddle]

4. Bleed the poor...

How is it feasible to force work upon people without a comprehensive plan to provide those jobs in the first place? What about adequate transportation, especially in rural areas that don't have public transport?

Bleed poor, bleed!

[Farmer-Rick]

29. They are calling it community engagement, so it is Not necessarily work

Sounds to me like turning volunteer work into a requirement for medical care. Since the money comes from my federal taxes, shouldn't the congress vote on this change?

I don't want a sick old man working for free at the Southern Baptist Church just to get some medical care. Nor do I want an 85 year old woman stringing beads for free at the Cheat'em factory. This is a problem waiting to happen and needs oversight by someone outside the state since they are using My tax dollars.

[SWBTATTReg]

7. and I suspect that a lot of these people are unable to work...what happens then?

and I bet every one of the 10 states that have or are seeking waivers are in the south and repub-controlled (just guessing)...

[CozyMystery]

30. Nope. PA is one of those states. :-(

[William Seger]

8. "Dear unemployed coal miner with opiod addiction: Screw you. Get a job."

Last edited Fri Jan 12, 2018, 04:47 PM - Edit history (1)

[Aristus]

16. And signed: "The people you voted for."

n/t

[RKP5637]

28. Probably, it's more like go die and get out of our GOP regime's way. n/t

[Phoenix61]

9. This isn't going to save money. It will cost

much more to administer the program eating whatever savings they envisioned coming from kicking people off the program. Not to mention, as noted in the article, Kentucky has a raging opiod addiction problem. Will addicts be considered able-bodied? If they are I guess they just need to go ahead and OD because they won't be able to get treatment without insurance.

[standingtall]

10. The article does not even mention the 2 year waiting period for a disability hearing

in Ky. I guess according to republican logic all those people are able bodied sense their not on SSI or SSDI Some states have even longer waiting periods than Ky.

[SWBTATTReg]

35. Avg. waiting time in Missouri is 3 years...

Several friends of mine in Missouri all experienced very long wait times...anyone that is up/eligible for these programs, you'll need to get started immediately so at least you can start the clock...

[bluestarone]

11. ACLU??????

where are you?????????

[lark]

12. What if the recipient can't work?

What about all the folks on disability? My sons' significant other has disability due to PML, a brain cancer. He's in remission, but he can't work. When he tried working 20 hrs in 3 days, he had a flare up and was in the hospital for 3 weeks. He's not in KY, but what if he was? Would they kill him by making him work? What about the single mom with a hydrocephalic child who needs 24/7 care and can't afford the price to have a CNA stay with him when she's at work and has no one else to help her?

This is just more fascist cruelty and part of their efforts to kill off the middle class and poor.

[mr_lebowski]

13. It does say 'able-bodied without dependents' ... the rest though ... yeah ...

So, this kinda invites the people who would be kicked off otherwise to just go ahead and get hitched and knock up someone/get knocked up so they have 'dependents'.

This is pretty much bullshit all around. It's pretty difficult/strict to qualify for Fed disability and if they're gonna call everyone who's not on it 'able-bodied' that's gonna hurt a LOT of people cause a lot of people are sick or disabled enough that they can't work 80 hrs a month without being able to qualify for SSDI.

Not to mention what about the Self-Employed? How are ANY of them going to prove they're 'working 80 hours a month'?

[Bayard]

14. Figures

Figures that KY would be the first. There are no jobs around here, in either color of collar. And yes, drug addiction is rampant.

What happens to the physically able, who are not mentally able?

[Corgigal]

15. Lawsuits will fly

To cost taxpayers more money so some white people can screw over some poor people.

[Scalded Nun]

17. Kentucky was one of the shithole (red) states being pulled into the light of day

but the majority of its citizens decided it was too bright and wanted a return to the sewer. Sad

[CozyMystery]

18. PA applied for a waiver, too, and

My son got a letter during the last couple of weeks, telling him his Medicaid will be canceled because he didn't meet the work requirements.

He called and they said that since he gets his Medicaid coverage through SSI, they wouldn't cancel it.

So how can KY be the first state?

My son threw the letter away, so I can't post it here.

[Cha]

19. Strange. I'm glad he still gets

to have Medicaid through SSI. That would have been one scary letter.

[standingtall]

20. I thought PA had a democratic governor

What is a state with a Democratic governor doing applying for a waiver to take healthcare away from people? You sure your not confusing medicaid with the snap program? Does not seem that PA is on the list of states to have requested the waiver.

[DeminPennswoods]

21. Corbett and the R-controlled legislature

applied for a waiver including work requirements, but when Wolf was elected, that hasn't happened. In fact, Wolf last last year, Wolf vetoed a bill to impose work requirements. Under Wolf, PA took the medicaid expansion and $s. I know there are some programs with work requirements, but medicaid isn't one.

Link: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-pa-wolf-veteo-medicaid-work-requirement-20171020-story.html

[CozyMystery]

23. We did get that letter, DeminPennswoods.

I read it and was shocked. I wish I'd reminded my son to keep the letter, after writing down the date, time, and person he spoke to.

The letter said people over some age (57, I think) were not subject to the work requirement. That, I remember, because it means I am not subject to the work requirement.

This is for Medicaid. My son has SSI because he is disabled.

[DeminPennswoods]

24. Don't know if your state rep or senator is R or D

but I'd contact them and ask what this is about. There are no work requirements for medicaid in the state.

[CozyMystery]

25. Yes, I know --

I asked my son and he said he thinks the letter came from the Feds (either the Social Security Administration or Medicaid).

I wish he hadn't tossed that letter. I didn't expect him to do that.

My state rep is a staunch Trump supporter who only represents the Trump supporters in his district.

[Farmer-Rick]

33. KY is not the 1st state..It's just that Trump admin don't approve of science or math

And they can't add.

[hexola]

34. We were kicked off PA Medicaid too

My GF is an LPN and was injured and could not work - this was about the time ACA was kicking in.

Unable to work - means no unemployment.

She accepted a small term of Food Stamps instead - we didn't really need it - but she wanted to be able to contribute.

We ended up on medicaid - not even sure we knew we had insurance at first - I didn't even know until about a year in!

About that same time - a relative of mine passed away - and we spent about 7 months out of state taking care of his affairs/estate.

So - I really didn't show any income that year. We were basically living it up on the estates dime...(with their blessing!) - but we were working too - but not in a billable way.

So they kicked us off - questioning how we lived on the single 1099 that I file from one of my clients.

At that point - I said fuck it...we've been insurance-less for about 18 months.

[riversedge]

26. That was fast!! of course--hitting on the poor is a priority for Trump Admin!

[dewsgirl]

31. I am pretty sure Florida has this now for their SNAP program.

[mac56]

32. Maybe he can get all of them the coal mining jobs he's bringing back.

Oh wait