The House voted 55-32 yesterday to freeze the expanded Medicaid program at is current enrollment effective July 1.
Many questions. The first: Is it legal? There’s some doubt that the federal government, even a Trump administration, would approve the idea or that it could stand a court challenge. Really, a question of timing could determine who qualifies for health care and who does not? As veteran Medicaid watcher David Ramsey observes:
Kids on ARKids who aged out couldn’t get on Medicaid, anyone not currently enrolled would be barred even if they lose their job, poor people that move here would be barred, anyone that actually made a little more money one year would be banned forever after even if their income slipped back down. It kills the Medicaid expansion, just slowly.
The expectation is that the adults in the Senate will block this right-wing attack on Obamacare and that some went along with the sponsor, Rep. Josh Miller, on this bill knowing they wouldn’t be held accountable.
About Josh Miller: It remains relevant that he is so hard-hearted toward the needy when he continues to receive Medicaid help himself on account of a disability arising from an alcohol-fueled accident many years ago. He continues to receive daily help despite a legislative paycheck and private income in real estate. He got on a lifeboat but wants to pull up the ladder for others.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson has promised to pass as many discouraging rules as possible so as to drive down the number of people getting health coverage in Arkansas now thanks to Obamacare — about 330,000. He wants to continue the program, but needs to look like he’s as mean as Josh Miller in doing so. Doesn’t matter that, whatever contribution required of Arkansas (currently 5 percent of the cost), it pales to the benefits in federal dollars, income from those employed in providing health services and, incidentally, healthier Arkansans.
Ramsey adds further:
The other thing that’s ridiculous about trying to take action now is that they have no idea what Congress is going to do, so they don’t even know the rules under which they’ll be operating. I assume that will be the point senators make if they block it.