GOP to propose $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts

[ProSense]

GOP to propose $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts

by Joan McCarter

The GOP isn't just indifferent to poor, elderly, and disabled Americans, they actively want them to suffer. What else is there to conclude?

The assault on Medicaid is about to begin. GOP sources have told Politico's Jonathan Allen that House Republicans will propose $1 trillion in cuts from the program. Exactly what form those cuts will take is not entirely clear. But a trillion dollars over ten years is serious money and Capitol Hill sources are saying it will likely come from two dramatic changes: Eliminating the Medicaid expansion that takes place under the Affordable Care Act and then converting the entire program into a system of block grants....

(R)olling back the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion would mean taking health insurance away from about 15 million people. That's the official, Congressional Budget Office projection of how many people will get coverage under Medicaid once the Act is fully in place.

As for turning Medicaid into a block grant, here's a quick refresher on what that entails. Right now, Medicaid is an entitlement program. That means the federal government, in partnership with the states, must enroll everybody who meets the program's guidelines. In other words, if millions of additional people become eligible because, say, they lost their job-based insurance in the recession, than the feds and the states have to provide them with coverage and find some way to pay for it. And it can't be spotty coverage, either. By law, Medicaid coverage must be comprehensive.

At least, that's the way it works now. If the law changes and Medicaid becomes a block grant, then every year the federal government would simply give the states a lump sum, set by a fixed formula, and let the states make the most of it.

The GOP likes to trumpet block grant programs as providing maximum flexibility for states. What this would actually do is take away states' ability to provide healthcare in economic downturns, like the one we're still in the middle of. Republican governors would be fine with that, they'd take the flexibility and make out like bandits, just as Rick Scott is doing in Florida. Who will hurt the most are the primary beneficiaries of the program, the elderly and the disabled, including millions of children.

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[sakabatou]

1. Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill the poor

[CakeGrrl]

2. Shoring up their 2012 election platform

:crazy:

[no_hypocrisy]

3. GOP to poor Americans: Drop Dead

[MadMaddie]

6. Alan Grayson was right wasn't he?

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

20. Or let 'em eat dog food.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. People have to be told...the biggest expenses for Medicaid

come from the cost of the elderly who run out of assets while needing nursing home care. These are not the welfare queens that people are always bringing to our attention. These are not the lazy bastards who refuse to get a job even though they are perfectly capable as we are told.

These are the people who did the right thing all their lives, they worked, they saved, but damn it, they just lived too long and got too sick for their own good.

Tell me, who is it that are bringing us "death panels"?

[jwirr]

8. That is right - they need to be educated because everyone has a

grandparent who needs help. As long as they are allowed to blame it on the poor and disabled most people do not understand. Make it about the grandparents.

[medeak]

12. indeed...did home health care visits

and saw the worst of the worst...Dept of Aging Services always came to my aid with dire patients...federally mandated for every state to have office. They have federal grants to keep patients in home with care givers as cheaper than nursing homes. Suppose that's going to go away now?

[Curmudgeoness]

15. In PA, as well as probably other states, Aging Services are being cut

to bare bones. They expect to lose federal money, and our state has massive cuts to it in the budget. A friend works for the agency, and she puts in so many hours for so little pay because her clients are so much in need. She also puts much of her own money into the agency functions. I remember she didn't make it to a dinner meeting we had planned because a client had fallen between her bed and the wall and couldn't get out and called her for help. What will these people do when these agencies disappear from their areas? We live in a terrible time. Greed and selfishness rule.

[medeak]

18. most wonderful people

Can't tell you the horror stories I laid on them. Most impressive tho was calling them in another state (as didn't have local contacts) re 95 yr old friend who was starving and too proud to accept help. Aging Service gal drove 100 miles and pretended to be out of gas and asked to use the phone to get inside home. Elderly friend said "an angel came to my house today"....she never knew it was planned. We joke that no one will be at our funerals as they are all dead already...but hoping for a big welcome on the other side. ;-)

[Curmudgeoness]

19. Dear, medeak, I am sure you will have a big welcome.

Thank you for how much you care. Too few people do.

[jimlup]

7. Republicans: The party of death panels

[medeak]

9. there is no medicaid in my state

One doc in town will see medicaid pts....and tosses paper work in trash as no payment from state.

[Curmudgeoness]

10. What state is that? nt

[medeak]

11. Nevada...just posted the below

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/04/02/house.gop.budget/index.html

[jefferson_dem]

13. Absolutely grotesque.

Whenever someone tries to sell the "Democrats and Republicans are just alike" bullshit, remind them ...of this. Bright lines. Clear choices.

[TheWraith]

17. Amen, JD. Amen.

Kicked and recommended. But this won't get a tenth of the recs of some Dem bashing on here.

[midnight armadillo]

21. I can't wait for the Democratic response

The Congressional Democrats and Obama will counter with merely $450 billion in cuts. That'll teach the GOP not to fuck with the left wing.

[n2doc]

14. aaaaand...they want to make the bushco tax cuts permanent as part of the plan

Ok, Obama, who are you going to side with. It is put up or shut up time. Time to go to war or go home and hide.

[and-justice-for-all]

16. Then we need to stop paying for ALL reps health care...

they can go out and buy their own. If they are going to through people who need it to the wolves, these reps should have the fortitude to sacrifice their own TAX PAYER paid health care!