Trump's going after Medicaid

[n2doc]

Jon Schwarz
March 1 2017, 11:34 a.m.

MOST OF Donald Trump’s speech to Congress Tuesday night can safely be ignored. Almost all the government policy he advocated is either strenuously opposed by House and Senate Republicans (driving down the cost of drugs, paid family leave, promoting clean air and water), is not going to happen whether or not they oppose it (“American footprints on distant worlds”), or was so vague that Trump might as well have said, “I support good things.”

However, Trump did call for something specific that Republicans desperately want and that is completely feasible: brutal cuts to Medicaid.

Of course, Trump didn’t put it like that. Instead, he said, “We should give our great state governors the resources and flexibility they need with Medicaid to make sure no one is left out.”

That sounds nice, but is standard Republican code for attacks on Medicaid. In fact, it’s lifted almost word for word from Paul Ryan’s “A Better Way” plan for Medicaid, which states that “we believe states and individuals should have better tools, resources, and flexibility to find solutions that fit their unique needs.” Moreover, both during the campaign and afterward Trump has endorsed the standard GOP plans for Medicaid.

more
https://theintercept.com/2017/03/01/the-only-concrete-takeaway-from-trumps-speech-medicaid-is-doomed/

[dalton99a]

1. This is Trump's final solution for the sick and poor.

[flamingdem]

2. Many Repub Governors do not want Medicaid cuts

They'll have hell to pay and the hospitals will again be on overload due to those who use the emergency room for care.

[greymattermom]

4. And more rural hospitals will close

Leaving the Trump voters with no care.

[n2doc]

5. But the RWNJ like Walker do want them

And they are the ones Trump and CONgress are pandering to. The Ayn Randers.

[hatrack]

7. Well, fuck them, they're going to get them

More to the point, the constituents are going to get them.

Then what? More flags and Jesus?

[uponit7771]

13. lol.... that's right... they gonna die by the sword

[Wounded Bear]

3. Yeah, when I heard that, I heard "block grants"...

Let's bring back another failed Repub policy.

[Eyeball_Kid]

6. When I heard Trumpy say that no one will be left out of Medicaid, I remarked,

"Well, Trumpy is going to dismantle Medicaid and people will die."

I assume that Trumpy lies about everything. He's an easy read. Every spin is a lie. Every statement is a lie. Every stat is a lie.

This morning we're reading that Bannon is giddy over the speech, saying that the nation ate it up. For the most part, it was a handful of pundits who must have reached for their flasks a little too often off-camera. It's the only explanation I can think of right now that accounts for the complete abandonment of rational thought. Anyway, we can see the media/communications oligarchy and how it works with this one evening of fantasy followed by punditry. It takes a small gaggle of media stars to throw the entire nation of 330 million people into a swan dive over the world's biggest asshole.

Hopefully, we learn something. But unfortunately, so did Bannon. He learned how to manipulate a few media stars who are almost as full of themselves as Trumpy: Just get a speechwriter who can plagiarize a folder full of Reagan's sunny speeches, and you've got a nation full of rock-headed lemmings jumping at the chance to die for Her Trumpy. Hell, they'd all sign over their life insurance policies to Trumpy if he told them to.

[flamingdem]

12. Too true, we're being sold bs

even with all the knowledge out there.

Pathetic. Herd mentality and $ pay offs

[Hoyt]

8. States already have a lot of flexibility with respect to their Medicaid programs. In fact, they

they don't have to participate, although all do. They have a lot of room to design their programs and still meet federal guidelines for matching funds.

[PRETZEL]

9. Medicaid won't go away

I honestly don't believe anyone is stupid enough to introduce legislation to repeal it.

What I think they mean is in terms of flexibility is code for managed care. I do know many states that don't have a managed care system for their Medicaid beneficiaries would be inclined to go that route. I do know Pennsylvania's system for their regular MA beneficiaries is a managed care system and beginning in July they are switching to a managed care system for seniors and the disabilities population.

I also think they are looking at going to a Block Grant system as opposed to a per capita reimbursement. This switch is going to have the greatest negative impact on the states.

[n2doc]

11. Read the article

They mean changing to block grants entirely, with a limited benefit depending on which state one is in.

They won't repeal it. They will make it so it can wither away over time.

[still_one]

10. and the nazis told the victims that they were going to take showers, before they killed them also

[dalton99a]

14. Bingo.

Yep, such care and concern.