Paul Krugman Op/Ed: "One Thing Clear, If Romney Wins "Medicaid Will Face Savage Cuts"

[Hissyspit]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/29/opinion/krugman-medicaid-on-the-ballot.html

OP-ED COLUMNIST
Medicaid on the Ballot
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: October 28, 2012

There’s a lot we don’t know about what Mitt Romney would do if he won. He refuses to say which tax loopholes he would close to make up for $5 trillion in tax cuts; his economic “plan” is an empty shell.

But one thing is clear: If he wins, Medicaid — which now covers more than 50 million Americans, and which President Obama would expand further as part of his health reform — will face savage cuts. Estimates suggest that a Romney victory would deny health insurance to about 45 million people who would have coverage if he lost, with two-thirds of that difference due to the assault on Medicaid.

So this election is, to an important degree, really about Medicaid. And this, in turn, means that you need to know something more about the program.

- snip -

So, about coverage: most Medicaid beneficiaries are indeed relatively young (because older people are covered by Medicare) and relatively poor (because eligibility for Medicaid, unlike Medicare, is determined by need). But more than nine million Americans benefit from both Medicare and Medicaid, and elderly or disabled beneficiaries account for the majority of Medicaid’s costs. And contrary to what you may have heard, the great majority of Medicaid beneficiaries are in working families.

MORE[p]

[southern_belle]

1. Jindal's already giving savage cuts

to medicaid in Louisiana! It's bad!

[riderinthestorm]

2. A disgusted K&R nt

[freshwest]

3. Thanks, I will be sending this a friend who has not been able to get her son to vote for Obama.

The situation is that two of his family members, who he says he loves very much, are in long-term care facilities. Their resources ran out years ago. Medicare cannot take care of them.

Medicaid is what is protecting them now. He claims there will be no difference to Medicaid, no matter who is elected. I am forwarding in hopes it will change his mind. Thanks, hissyspit.