Among Those Losing Jobs, Red States Will See More Uninsured

[Demovictory9]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2020/04/05/among-those-losing-jobs-red-states-will-see-more-uninsured/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2020/04/05/among-those-losing-jobs-red-states-will-see-more-uninsured/#1090320b3f92


A big increase in uninsured Americans is expected to hit harder in states that didn’t expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act amid record unemployment applications in an economy struggling with the Coronavirus strain COVID-19.

When unemployment is on the rise, Americans losing health insurance benefits almost always follows if their employer doesn’t extend coverage though most should be eligible for some coverage under the ACA, including subsidized individual coverage known as Obamacare. Nearly 10 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits in the last two weeks.

But Medicaid coverage for poor Americans may be off the table in 14 states, generally led by Republican governors or GOP legislatures, that haven’t expanded Medicaid under the ACA. And that’s going to harm access to medical care for potentially millions of Americans, new research shows.



“Findings indicate that though joblessness will likely affect uninsurance rates throughout the country, states that did not expand Medicaid under the ACA will see larger increases in uninsurance if current policy fails to adapt to the COVID-19 virus,” the Urban Institute said last week in a report funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Medicaid coverage will sharply increase as workers become unemployed due to the pandemic, particularly in Medicaid expansion states.”

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“As people lose their jobs in this pandemic, they’re going to need access to healthcare,” Schleifer said. “Politicians in deep red states who have stood in the way of progress, need to stop listening to the special interests and start responding to the needs of their constituents.”

Oklahoma and Missouri are among the 14 remaining holdout states that have already missed out on generous federal funding of the Medicaid expansion. From 2014 through 2016, the ACA’s Medicaid expansion population was funded 100% with federal dollars. The federal government still picks up 90% or more of Medicaid expansion through 2020. It’s a better deal than before the ACA, when Medicaid programs were funded via a much less generous split between state and federal tax dollars.

[Cha]

1. KR!

[procon]

2. Republicans really shot themselves in the foot

using their shortsighted ideology over common sense. They brag about their fiscal responsibility and then let their constituents go without insurance coverage, passing the expense onto the state. Math fail.

Red states have already lost millions by clinging to some outdated notion of party purity and refusing Obamacare and denying expanded medicaid to their citizens. Now, with the corona virus sending hundreds of uninsured patients into ICU beds, the costs to those states will be in the billions.

Do Republicans have the will to admit they made a mistake and finally let their citizens get healthcare coverage? I'm not going to hold my breath.

[duforsure]

3. And they'll see more dragging their feet getting anything to them, like Desantos in Florida is doing

They'll hurt them the most. trump will stiff them, just like he does to contractors, and others . Mnuchin is doing that now too for trump, stalling getting checks out. They'll have excuse after excuse, then try to stall the Congress from more bills for help passing. His supporters will get the message clearly soon , he could care less about you or your family's health , or care. Abbott in Texas has a rainy day slush fund he's refusing to give out to the people in need in Texas now. trump is making this worse every day he's not removed from office for this historic and catastrophic failure.

[gordianot]

4. Trump is if nothing else a civics lesson.

When you fit on the lower half of the bell curve lesson are sometimes harder especially when the instructor does not understand what he is teaching and actually dislikes the students.