With tens of millions losing health insurance in a pandemic the government moves to cut Medicaid
In a world where your government actually cared about your life, it would try to make sure that poor people got health care during a pandemic. Especially when roughly the bottom quarter of the population will be losing health insurance.
The Urban Institute's Health Policy Center, an economic and social policy think tank, published a study last week on how the economic recession caused by COVID-19 could affect the health insurance coverage of Americans. The analysis found that between 25 million and 43 million Americans are at risk of losing, or have already lost, their health insurance, which is often tied directly to an individual's employer.
...
"With 20 percent unemployment, we estimate that 25 million people would lose employer- sponsored health insurance. Of these, 11.8 million would gain Medicaid coverage, 6.2 million would gain marketplace or other private coverage, and 7.3 million would become uninsured," the analysis projected.However, based on a range of factors, the analysis additionally projected that 20 percent unemployment could potentially lead to 43 million people losing insurance through their employers. Under that scenario, the analysis projects that 12.1 million would not be able to access Medicaid or enroll in insurance through the ACA.
We aren't talking about temporary unemployment numbers. It's estimated that of the 30+ million of the newly unemployed, that 42% won't be getting their jobs back.
Only about 79% of people expected to lose their employer-based insurance will be eligible for Medicaid or Obamacare.
These numbers are based under the assumption that Medicaid will be there for the poor. That appears to be a faulty assumption, because the state budgets are about to be crushed.
Medicaid, which is one of the largest programs funded by states, covers about 70 million low-income adults and children — the same population that has been hit hardest by the coronavirus. Though the federal government pays more than half of the Medicaid cost, governors ultimately determine the scope of the program in each state.Several states have already announced cuts to their Medicaid programs and others are expected to follow. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, last week announced a $210 million cut to Medicaid over the next two months as the state adds more than 100,000 new Medicaid enrollments per month. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, announced a $183 million cut to the state's Medicaid program through June earlier this month as a key legislative committee estimated that 500,000 more people could enroll in the program this year. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, ordered agencies to prepare for 14% cuts across the board as the state's Medicaid enrollment is projected to spike by more than 560,000. Numerous other states are planning steep cuts as statewide lockdowns bleed budgets of much-needed tax revenue.
To put this into perspective, the National Bureau of Economic Research released a study comparing infant mortality rates in the pre-Medicaid flu pandemic in 1957-58 and the post-Medicaid 1968-69 flu pandemic.
Not only did the introduction of Medicaid help save more children, but it also helped contain the disease spread among everyone else.
"After Medicaid implementation, we find that better access to insurance in high-eligibility states substantially reduced infant mortality during the 1968-69 pandemic," the study said. "The reductions in pandemic infant mortality are too large to be attributable solely to new Medicaid recipients, suggesting that the expansion in health insurance coverage mitigated disease transmission among the broader population."
Imagine that. If you really wanted to save lives, you would make sure that everyone could get health care (as opposed "make health insurance affordable", which in the U.S. today is a meaningless nonsense political statement). This would benefit everyone in a pandemic, even non-poor people.
So what's happening is that the ruling elite (and even upper-middle class people) would rather endanger their own lives (not to mention see poor people suffer), than allow poor people to get needed health care.
Trump and the GOP has actively engaged in outright War Against Medicaid for four years now. So the chances that they'll lift a finger now to save Medicaid is near zero.
All House Democrats are proposing is subsidies to cover the full cost of COBRA, because that's what their donors want.
In a different but related study, states that expanded Medicaid saw a larger drop in cancer deaths than states that did not.
Comments
New Fed Study
Note that these numbers are just from March, not the much, much worse April
Meanwhile, is this a directly related outcome?
It will happen to medicaid
even with the dimocrats controlling the house.
It will happen and few will complain because they will not be affected.
Then medicare will be cut more and fewer will complain because they'll feel lucky to have what they have.
Then social security will follow. Even fewer will complain because they're either too old or because those that don't get it don't believe that those who do deserve it.
It's a feature.
Most americans have lost empathy.
Once again gjohn, I bow my head in shame.
Well done.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
Sadly, That seems about right
But we don't want "Socialized Medicine" Noooooo
Actually I prefer the Germany/Scandinavian system, but I'll take the British system over ours any day.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
The United States is a nation based upon cruelty
For decades we have been inflicting cruelty upon the world through our wars, sanctions and trade embargoes. It is no wonder that our elected representatives (and I use that term very loosely) have decided to pile more suffering upon their suffering constituents while bailing out corporations and the richest among us. These people are criminals, whether they push for these cuts or vote because their leader tells them to do so. The most recent bailout showed me that not one Democrat has a backbone to vote against Pelosi's pork laden bill.
Meanwhile the Trump administration is pushing for a holiday on the Social security tax saying that it is a way to get more money in the hands of people. First thing, the St. Louis Fed has predicted that unemployment may reach as high as 32% so fewer people are paying into the SS Trust Fund. With a holiday on FICA, that will mean even those who still have a job will not be contributing which gives an opening the size of the Grand Canyon for them to do away with Social Security. And in all the $Trillions of giveaway money, there was no back stop provided for Social Security.
What we are witnessing is the final fleecing of this country and when it is over, there will be nothing left for we the people. No jobs, no living wages for those who have one, and no social safety net. This is cruelty personified.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
my grandfather has apparently said to his sons
Well, he was right. As of 1952 Germany was building, eating, and stood back up on their feet.
I feel confident the same will or would happen in the US. People want to work, need to eat and will build and grow what they need.
Probably people will mock me for having pipe dreams, the same way as my grandfather was considered back then, when everyone was down and out. Standing up from the rubble is just in our dna. Fighting for food is natural even among the birds I watch every day now.
Germans are tough and determined.
Americans are soft and feckless.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
heh, that's a kind myth, but a generalization, the
other generalization, I don't like, is that we are all cowardly sheeps in wolves' clothes. (or some such ... I have to watch my language)
Hallo, I am a cute monster, who has a heart for alligators and I try to start a movement. Baked some cookies to console the caged alligator and bribe the prison guard. Are you with me?
Free the Alligator
Thank you
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Thanks back ...
oh ... btw ...
Cruelty has been cultivated in the media. When
The Darwin Awards came out I could see that they cultivated a certain lack of empathy. I was concerned that those stories and the gleeful recounting of them would harden people’s hearts. I think I was right.
The TV program Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous cultivated greed. It also gave people something vacuous to aspire to. It never questioned how the wealth was acquired, it only flaunted it.
When FDR led the country, he called to our better natures. But Roosevelt was hated by those of wealth and power who sought to bring down what he was able to accomplish, I would argue successfully.
I know we are constantly being bombarded with propaganda of various sorts. Some is just to sell products, but the most dangerous kind is the sale of ideas which can work to our detriment.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
This is a very important point.
There are more examples, too. The Big Brother house types of shows promoted selfishness, lying, and backstabbing. (OK, I never was able to make myself watch a whole episode, but the key points were also repeatedly televised on morning "news" shows.) Lying, cheating and backstabbing were portrayed as " just playing the game". I kept waiting for some religious leader to object to these shows but . . .
The Bachelor type shows trivialized one of the deepest bonds people can form. They made it look like a cattle-call for gold-diggers. People are not objects to be used. A lot of these "reality" shows do not appear to be kind.
Death cult obsession over denying health care
Beautiful, somber post, gulfgal
As always you speak precisely and undeniably from the true heart and center of things.
Well, if you're like me
with nothing left, and basically have a gun pointed at your head, fuck it, I'm going to try to get infected than become a Typhoid Mary and attend every "business" meeting / event I can where "executives" are present. (dark snark)
C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote
The most dangerous people
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Unfortunately they can go Left or Right
and they are more likely to go Right. When you are angry you are more likely to march in a spiffy uniform giving stiff arm salutes and blaming your troubles on Jews, Blacks and illegal Mexicans. Today add Chinese. Note the 1% that are always portrayed on television as "good guys".
EdiT: fixed typos
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
heh, get one of my cookies,
they have everything good in them, vanilla, macademia nuts, chocolate morcels, cinnamon, and a little hot red ground pepper. Everybody likes them and I get lots of smiles back.
That's my last cookie though. Seufz.