This is Brian Blase in Health Affairs:
More than one in four Americans is now enrolled in Medicaid.
Close to 20 percent of all enrollees are only eligible for the program because the Biden administration has extended the COVID public health emergency far past the time of an actual public health emergency.
Only 4.5 million people who are lawfully present in the United States lack health insurance and are not eligible for Medicaid, a subsidized exchange plan, or employer-sponsored insurance. This equals 1.7% of the under-65 population.
And why things will get worse:
Federal subsidies for the under-65 population will total nearly $12 trillion over the next decade —several hundred billion dollars above the amount they projected last year.
I emailed Brian today — I told you that Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas City is charging teachers over $700 a month to add a child to the school’s health insurance. If she adds a 30-year-old husband and child the school charges her over $2,000 a month for an HMO that pays NOTHING if they go out of network with a serious illness. President Trump’s Short-Term-Medical (STM) is only $193 a month, more than 90% cheaper than employer-based insurance. BUT — Trump’s low-cost Plan is outlawed in : AK, CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, ID, MA, ME, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NM, NY, PA, RI, VT, WA. WTF – These governors are saying, “No low cost health insurance for you – you schmucks…Left Wing media refuses to report…
Like many conservatives, Brian Blase is essentially hostile to Medicaid. This is partly because the recipients pay nothing for it, and also because the taxpayers pay no extra taxes for it.
The recipient argument seems hollow to me, because seniors receive many free benefits and no one complains. Without Medicaid, poor people would have no medical care, or emergency room medical care, or skimpy health insurance that leaves many of them in debt.
With Medicaid, the federal government essentially goes in debt, so that individuals and states do not have to go in debt. This may not be sustainable forever.
Bob, the number 1 stock on the S & P 500 in 2018 was the Nation’s largest Medicaid provider, Centene. CMS reports that 21% of all Medicaid funds are fraudulent. Centene had a class action lawsuit for skimpy networks in Obamacare. They were accused of having fictitious doctors on their list of medical providers. I suppose they do a much better job with Medicaid people. In Medicaid these sick people don’t have their choice of doctors and hospitals. They probably don’t go to the Mayo clinic if they have brain surgery like my brother. Trust me Bob, someone is paying the Medicaid bill. They are called tax payers.
I wanted to read the Brian Blase article, (on the family glitch), as he is a very good commenter….but I got through about 3 paragraphs before the Forbes paywall stopped me. It is not a cheap paywall either. Thanks for looking into this.