In a move that’s sure to ignite the fire and fury of radical leftists, the Trump administration is encouraging states to require “able-bodied” Medicaid recipients to work in exchange for health insurance.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, issued new guidelines on Thursday for states that want to comply, NPR reported.
CMS administrator Seema Verma called it “incentivizing community engagement” in a tweet sent out shortly after the new guidelines were released.
Today @CMSGov is releasing guidance to support state efforts to improve #Medicaid enrollee #health outcomes by incentivizing community engagement among able-bodied beneficiaries.
— CMS Administrator (@SeemaCMS) January 11, 2018
Adults who are elderly or disabled, or who are pregnant will be exempted from having to work, volunteer or participate in job training, NPR reported.
Verma insisted the Trump administration wants to give states leeway to make its own decisions and try out their own ideas.
“There are a lot of different ideas, and a lot of ways to go about this,” Verma said. “We want to give states as much flexibility as possible because that’s where we’ll be able to evaluate what actually works best.”
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Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin already filed applications to add the work requirements, according to NPR.
The move is already amassing vocal critics. Suzanne Wikle of the Center for Law and Social Policy argued that good health must come before getting a job.
“Access to Medicaid makes it easier for people to look for work and obtain employment,” Wikle said. “A so-called ‘work requirement’ does not support work, but instead puts a critical support for work at risk.”
Verma, and proponents of the requirements view it differently.
“This is about helping people rise out of poverty,” Verma said in press conference, according to NPR.
Unsurprisingly, Verma is getting hammered on Twitter:
This is kicking people off of Medicaid — not incentivizing anything.
— Emma Sandoe (@emma_sandoe) January 11, 2018
I have worked in health care for 30 years and know that nothing in your plan will “improve Medicaid enrollee health outcomes.” Instead, it will reduce patient access to health care and lead to more rural hospital closures. You should be ashamed. #Healthcareisahumanright
— Beth Aldridge (@mcna217) January 11, 2018
First you must raise the minimum-wage. Otherwise you are further regulating an endentured workforce. In Idaho tipped employees are paid $3.35 an hour and regular minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. So, before you make these requirements law you need to change the minimum wage law.
— Lisa Schaff (@LisaSchaff) January 11, 2018
The mandated minimum wage hike is costing jobs in many instances. Try again.
Work requirements aren’t an incentive – they are a barrier to getting needed help – this is cruel and inhumane
— Michael O’Neill (@M_L_ONeill) January 11, 2018
Why do you hate Americans?
— Danielle Hill❄??️ (@gatadelafuente) January 11, 2018
Despite all the belly-aching, it looks like the list of states wanting to implement the new work requirements is quickly growing, and NPR can add South Carolina:
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