Monday, January 23, 2017
Objectively Evil
I don't know if you remember, but the popular vote loser in the recent presidential campaign promised repeatedly that he would not cut social security, Medicare, or Medicaid. Purportedly that helped him get votes from people who don't normally vote for Republicans.
Uh huh. His nominee for secretary of HHS wants to cut Medicare and Medicaid spending, by a lot, and in his confirmation hearing he refused to say that he would honor Trump's promise. No surprise, Trump's flunky KellyAnne Conway now says yup, he wants to convert Medicaid to a block grant, which is just a path to cutting it.
If you're like most people, you probably think that Medicaid spends all its money on welfare queens in Cadillacs trading food stamps for vodka. Actually 21% is spent on elderly people (much of that going to people in long-term care in nursing homes who have exhausted their assets); 42% on people with disabilities; and 21% on children.
When the money goes away, what happens? I'll bet you can figure it out.
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3 comments:
Kai Ryssdal did a brief news item about this last night on Marketplace and pointed out that Clinton's "welfare reform" relied on block grants. He told listeners that they had done some stories about how those welfare block grants were being used in the series "The Uncertain Hour." I suspect you heard those stories (they are still available as podcasts on the website, I think). It's alarming how states can choose to misuse block grant money.
Is there any legitimate position other than federal centralized control?
Sure. The Canadian single payer system is managed by the provinces. As is Medicaid in the U.S.
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