People who make below the federal poverty level will need to wait four years for insurance?

[Poiuyt]

It is my understanding that Medicaid will not be expanded until 2014 so that the unemployed and underemployed won't have anything for a long time. I would have thought that that would have been one of the groups that would get coverage first. Why the long delay?

[pitohui]

1. it beats waiting forever, which was the GOP plan

this is not the 60s when LBJ can come out and say, "medicare starts tomorrow" and if you look at how LBJ was crushed and demonized then you can prob. figure out why democrats try to be more careful w. sweeping social changes -- our reward in the 1960s was pretty much a two week hate week that lasted for the next 30 or 40 yrs

and before you hop up and say, well, LBJ got us in a war, so did the two bushes and nobody cared...the media picks and chooses who to manipulate and who to destroy

[sandnsea]

2. To ramp up more providers

I think it is unfortunate too, but we really will need more providers to serve that many people.

The clinic money starts going out this year though, so that will help.

Hopefully if we can get the service end at full speed, we can get these folks coverage faster.

[pnwmom]

3. A large fraction of that income group is in the age group that now can be covered under

their parents' insurance.

I don't know why the 4 year wait, but it might have something to do with the fact that the states are already struggling with their budgets -- Medicaid and otherwise. This gives them a few years for the economy to improve so they can dig themselves out of the hole they're in now.

[intheflow]

5. That's baloney.

There are waaaay more underemployed and unemployed people over the age of 26 than there are under 26.

[pnwmom]

6. We're talking about people below the poverty level.

Not the "underemployed."

[Raineyb]

7. What difference does it make if they're underemployed if their salaries are below poverty level.

And the medicaid doesn't come into effect for 4 years. Yet another group who we don't care enough about to actually do something for them.

[lbrtbell]

8. GenX'ers have always had problems getting employment

We're all well over 26.

Then there are so many people like me, who have tried in vain for years to apply for disability.

From what I'm told, the subsidies to help us buy insurance are supposed to be rolled out sooner. That would help, if it's true.

[intheflow]

9. The poverty level only takes into account what people spend on food.

It doesn't include housing, clothing, transportation and associated costs such as car insurance, or medical expenses. Underemployed people live impoverished lives, regardless of what the "official" poverty level is.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/business/yourmoney/12view.html

[Warren Stupidity]

4. Blue dog budget crap.

However as others have pointed out, the current wait, and the wait under the teabuglican plan is infinity.

[mzmolly]

10. Not if they have a pre-existing condtion, or are < 26 and can

be added to their parents policy.

[Cetacea]

11. Aren't they amending the medicaid portion this week?

Wow. I was under the impression that the expansion was to take affect immediately.