States forced to cut health coverage for poor

Posted by Kendall Harmon

Economic troubles are forcing states to scale back safety-net health-coverage programs — even as they brace for more residents who will need help paying for care.

Many cuts affect Medicaid, which pays for health coverage for 50 million low-income adults and children nationwide, including nearly half of all nursing home care. The joint federal-state program is a target because it consumes an average 17% of state budgets — the second-biggest chunk of spending in most states, right behind education.

"Medicaid programs across the U.S. are going to be severely damaged," says Kenneth Raske, president of the Greater New York Hospital Association. He expects some hospitals nationwide may drop services and some hospitals and nursing homes may lay off employees.

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Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Health & Medicine • Poverty • * Economics, Politics • Economy • The Credit Freeze Crisis of Fall 2008/The Recession of 2007--

2 Comments
Posted October 29, 2008 at 8:13 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Sick & Tired of Nuance wrote:

In my state, the “poor” [a family of 4 with an income of $39,220], have better health care than my family of 4 that pay for our insurance.  That statement holds true for “poor” families of 4 earning over $63,600 that pay a group premium rate of $195 monthly.  They still have better insurance…paid for by my tax dollar.

http://www.huskyhealth.com/qualify.htm
http://www.huskyhealth.com/benefits.htm

Why is it that I not only pay for my families insurance, but I am forced to pay for other families insurance, and they have better benefits than my family does?  The state insurance program started out as being for the kids.  It now includes “Parents, Relatives, Caregivers and Pregnant Women”, too.

I am subjected to the coercive power of government to provide at my expense better benefits for those deemed worthy by the state, than I can provide for my own family. This is socialism. This is evil.

October 30, 9:04 am | [comment link]
2. Juandeveras wrote:

It was reported in the L.A. Times yesterday that an illegal alien woman has received over $500,000.00 in dialysis treatments courtesy of California taxpayers, in addition to a free kidney transplant. When she moved to North Carolina, she was told “no deal” and was given a one-way ticket back to California. The California state budget is billions in the red.

October 31, 1:21 am | [comment link]
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