The GOP's Medicaid Ambush

[marmar]

from Mother Jones:



The GOP's Medicaid Ambush
In the budget battle, Republicans see an opening to roll back health care for the poor.

— By Suzy Khimm


After President Obama and House Republicans released their budgets this week, deficit hawks complained loudly that neither party was brave enough to tackle out-of-control entitlement spending. Both parties are now vowing that they'll take on entitlement reform, but the political perils of touching Social Security or Medicare have kept any specific proposals from coming forward. Under the radar, however, Republicans are starting to circle around the entitlement program that's received less attention than the others: Medicaid.

Leading Republicans in Washington and in the states have set their sights on the federal health care program for the poor, aiming to slash funding and roll back Medicaid, just as Democrats are preparing to expand it to millions more Americans.

Republicans' first line of attack is changing federal regulations that prevent states from reducing the number of residents signed up for Medicaid or from creating new barriers to enrollment. "It's the general consensus that we need to give the states much greater flexibility in terms of their caring for their Medicaid population," Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) told Mother Jones. "There's going to be a lot of work done on it in the next number of months." And the House GOP has already put the issue on its agenda for next month. Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), chairman of the House energy and commerce committee, told reporters that he would be inviting governors to testify on March 1 about the fiscal impact of Medicaid on their states. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/Republican-Cuts-Medicaid-Benefits

[EC]

1. This may backfire too,

from what I can see most of the tea people (that aren't the bought ones) are on Medicare or Medicaid.

[shraby]

2. Not to mention the countless numbers who are in nursing

homes because of dementia and Alzheimers, with medicaid plus 70% of their social security going to help pay the expenses of the necessary long term care that most families are unable to give.

[sellitman]

3. They have been protesting against their own interests all along

Why would they stop now? The stupid is very strong in the Teabag.

[PA Democrat]

4. Bullies go after people who are least able to defend themselves.