From Katie Tastrom writing for THINK:
In a letter to state Medicaid directors Thursday morning, the Trump administration announced that it would allow states to require Medicaid recipients to participate in a work program or other form of approved “community engagement” in order to retain their health benefits. While there will supposedly be exceptions for disabled people, allowing states to implement the work requirement is a terrible idea. As a disability lawyer and disabled person myself, I know this policy change will be disastrous for my community in a number of important ways.
My first concern involves the eligibility process. According to the Washington Post, states will be able to decide for themselves who qualifies as “disabled” for the purpose of being exempt from the work requirement. No matter how broad they define the category, there will be disabled people who do not qualify for the exemption even though they should. ...
While this appeals process [concerning whether the person is disabled for purposes of Medicaid] plays out, people are likely to get sicker and more disabled as they await a final decision. In the end, many people could become stuck in a grey area: too sick or disabled to work, but not sick or disabled enough to be exempt from the work requirement. ...
The states that will end up implementing these work requirements are also the states that tend to be the poorest to begin with ...
3 comments:
never give up on getting blood out of that turnip!
One thing I haven't heard mentioned is how much a job can injure you. I've been retired for almost a year and still dealing with repetitive stress injuries from decades of office work.
I never applied for any kind of disability, just have my regular Soc Sec and Medicare. I do feel for anyone that had problems and had to get on Medicaid and would now be forced to get a job.
Since they are not going to apply the rules to the largest number of Medicaid users: children, aged (LTC) or pregnant women, this doesnt mean that they are gunning for the disabled. Many states that had Medicaid Expansion have people who were already working get on Medicaid, so that is a wash.
I can see where most state will have an exemption if you currently have a claim with SSA. So I would watch the state you practice in, this might be a business stimulus for underpaid, overworked, reps.
SLMBs and QMBs are either getting Medicaid with their Medicare and have met disability or aging requirements. No impact.
Agreed, there will be a few that get caught in the grey area, there always will be, in any program of any type in any state or federal benefit program. Should we not make changes?
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