KY Gov Threatens To Strip Medicaid From 500,000 If Court Strikes Work Rules

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo




By Alice Ollstein | June 14, 2018 6:00 am


Attorneys for Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) will tell a federal court this Friday that that the governor plans to take his ball and go home if he can’t get his way on Medicaid work requirements, premiums, and other restrictions. Bevin, who campaigned on ending the Medicaid expansion but backed down from that threat once elected, is now arguing that he will scrap the state’s Medicaid expansion if the controversial new rules are struck down by federal courts.

Kentucky was the first state in the nation to win permission from the Trump administration to impose the new Medicaid rules, which are expected to throw nearly 100,000 Kentuckians off the program. With at least a dozen other states looking to adopt their own Medicaid work requirements, the outcome of the case could determine the future of the program not only in Kentucky but across the country.

Kentucky and the Trump administration are jointly fighting a lawsuit from a dozen-plus Kentucky residents who fear the work requirements and other hurdles will strip them of their Medicaid coverage. The plaintiffs are arguing, among other points, that the new rules do not further Congress’ original intent for Medicaid — to provide affordable health care to low-income people.

Kentucky’s waiver will allow the state, to deny coverage to any non-disabled adult who cannot prove they are working at least 20 hours per week. The state also will be able to charge low-income Medicaid recipients health care premiums, eliminate full coverage of dental care, vision services, and over-the-counter medications for many adults, end retroactive Medicaid coverage, and implement a six-month lockout period for people who fail to re-enroll in time or report a change in income.


Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/ky-gov-threatens-to-strip-medicaid-from-500000-if-court-strikes-work-rules

[duforsure]

1. Voters will remember this

In Nov. . Vote!

[Chicago1980]

8. No they won't.

And he's a new governor of the state, and those idiots voted for why they're getting.

[tonyt53]

12. As a lifelong Kentuckian, I'll take offense to what you just said.

The "idiots" are the voters that stayed home and did not vote. Bevin won with less than 16% of the possible electorate. Most people didn't even bother to vote. His voters were the teabagger bunch - he is one of them. Even Republicans despise him. He is a one-term governor that is up for re-election NEXT year. He won't even get the GOP nomination. That will go to James Comer, a US Congressman from KY 1st District. Comer hates Bevin with a passion. It will be a close race between Comer and the Democrat nominee, who will likely be Andy Beshear our Attorney General, son of our previous governor Steve Beshear. Steve Beshear was often hailed by Obama a the national role model for the ACA and Medicare expansion. So be careful when painting with a wide brush.

[Bayard]

14. Same here

I certainly didn't vote for him. Most people I know here just don't bother to vote.

Some people on DU feel free to slam KY as a stupid state. They would be highly offended if I said the same thing about NY or CA.

[onecaliberal]

2. Unbelievable

[Chicago1980]

9. But is it?

[Maxheader]

3. May this be the one..

We've waited for americu to get bit hard enough
by the retards in washington that the hard core
right looks for different leadership..Maybe this
will spark a change...

[hibbing]

16. retards? I think you are in the wrong place

[Maxheader]

18. explain..

did you take a wrong turn at free republic?

[Autumn]

4. Proceed governor.

I'm sure those 500,000 people will appreciate you doing that.

[Honeycombe8]

5. Since when does Medicaid have "full coverage of dental care"?

I had a sister who had a stroke at a young age, so was on a combo of Medicaid & Medicare in an institution. At no time did she ever have full dental coverage. She had SOME dental coverage....but there was like only one dentist in town who accepted medicaid.

And for work requirements, it's often the case that someone who has been laid off or fired has to go on Medicaid temporarily, since he also lost his insurance and may not be able to afford COBRA, which is VERY expensive. Or maybe even qualified for Medicaid while working, which he now would lose, when he's fired.

Charging for Medicaid is incomprehensible to me. How on earth can someone that poor be able to afford anything besides the bare minimums of housing & food? They can't. Even with some food stamps. And an adult w/o kids, gets only supplemental food assistance in my state for a few months. That's it.

[Cold War Spook]

15. Our great-grandson is on Medicaid.

Here in NC he has full dental including braces. The only thing we do pay for are his glasses.

[Honeycombe8]

17. I didn't realize. It's different in each state, I guess. nt

[YOHABLO]

6. Low income Kentuckians on Medicaid will need transportation to get to the polls. Help them.

[DBoon]

7. Who is doing this? Do they take donations?

nt

[riversedge]

10. umm.. Is he trying to make the Court feel guilty if folks get stripped of their health care???

sounds like it to me. IMHO

[BumRushDaShow]

11. 88% of Kentucky is white

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/KY

So guess who will be impacted the most in total numbers?

[FarPoint]

13. I say go ahead!

No pain, no gain....

[appalachiablue]

19. Kick

[TheFrenchRazor]

20. getting an official "disability" ruling can take years and cost thousands in medical expenses;

i'm sure low income people in poor health won't have any problem with that, especially with their medicaid gone.