The myth of able bodied people not working and on Medicaid:

[applegrove]

The myth of able-bodied adults abusing Medicaid debunked

“Among adults under age 65 with Medicaid who do not receive benefits from the Social Security..programs..92% were working full or part-time..or not working due to caregiving responsibilities..illness or disability..or school attendance”

— Adam Cohen (My Personal Views Only) (@axidentaliberal.bsky.social) 2025-07-06T13:43:09.484Z

[bucolic_frolic]

1. When the economy does the Krasnov Krash

these bozos are going to be so surprised. They won't know what to say other than the same survival-of-the-fittest ideology, Social Darwinism.

[valleyrogue]

2. It's a reworking of the "welfare queen" crap.

It's another example of the "politics of resentment" that the GOP have practiced since Nixon. The great bulk of the money spent on Medicaid--which is a LOAN that must be repaid if there are assets upon the death of the person receiving it, especially for long term nursing home care--is for nursing home care. Few people have the resources AT ALL for long term nursing home care. My brother was recently in a rehabilitation center following gall bladder surgery, and the stay cost $17,000 a MONTH.. Medicaid took care of it. Fortunately, he was not there long term or there would be a lien slapped on any property he would have, which is basically nothing.

These Republicans are full of shit, and they know it. They thought they could rob Peter to pay Paul with the scheme of cutting Medicaid and other programs to fuel the Trump tax cuts that should have expired. They figure the Democrats will fix the mess they caused, and they expect stupid voters to blame Democrats if there is indeed a huge mess in 2027 or 2029.

They pulled this shit with the "inflation" issue, claiming it was all on Biden, and MILLIONS fell sucker for it. Biden was FIXING the inflation Trump and his minions CAUSED. The Republicans think they can pull the same crap again with Medicaid.

Prior to the ACA, single adults with no children and were not disabled could NOT get Medicaid. One of the things the GOP is trying to do here is undercut the ACA because of the Medicaid expansion provision.

[markie]

3. #1: healthcare should NOT ever be tied to employment

#2: with that... as it stands, more jobs than what Bessent thinks, do not provide healthcare... fu#king republicans live in bubbles of their own making

I am getting angrier by the day with their ignorance and cavalier attitude

[viva la]

16. Yes, I can't get over the fact that countries like Vietnam have national health insurance....

But somehow this rich country can't afford it?

But we can afford to spend twice as much on health care as other countries?

It's too stupid. Too stupid.

[republianmushroom]

4. We shall see what the convicted felons base thinks in time.

[Zackzzzz]

5. The average person does not have AGENCY.

A good job does not always come with GOOD HEALTH CARE.

HE TALKS PIE-IN-THE-SKY.

[Ms. Toad]

6. Medicaid may be the only affordable option for many able-bodied but chronically ill individuals.

My daughter has $200,000 each and every year in billed medical expenses. She is able bodied, but has a disease that might qualify her for SSI/Medicaid.

/She is currently working at Amazon, and before that Starbucks. Both of those companies have affordable health care plans with fantastic coverage - because they are large employers with a largely young healthy workforce. Her insurance at both of those companies is better than mine has been at jobs which pay more but require a college degree (or more).

Even with the fantastic plan, because of her extraordinary health expenses, she hits her out of pocket maximum each year by the end of January. Most people hit their out of pocket maximum once in a blue moon. But every year, working at a low-paying job, she has to cough up between $2,500 and $3,500 each and every year. In January.

Medicaid has a $0 out of pocket, and a $0 copay.

At barely-making-it wages - even with job associated health insurance, some are better off not working, taking the meager SSI/SSDI and avoiding thousands of dollars each and every year in medical expenses.

So even people who could conceivably work might choose Medicaid, not to abuse the system, but because they are forced into making fiscal choices by the lack of truly affordable health care for people with chronic illnesses.

As her mother, I made that choice for her when she was little. The state refused to recognize her parents' marriage. As my biological child, she was not eligible for health insurance from her legally-a-stranger other mother. I was staying home with her until she was 5, so I had zero income. At least initially, we could have afforded a separate health insurance plan for her by taking money out of savings - but that would have been fiscally irresponsible because the only reason she didn't have insurance through her parent's employment was the state's refusal to recognize our (by that time) 10 year marriage. When she was diagnosed with her first chronic illness, just before her 5th birthday, we had no choice - since it was back in the era before ACA - and the only plan which would accept her cost about $1500/month - $18,000 a year. Our family income at that time was about $30,000.

Living with a chronic illness can be incredibly costly - even if the condition is not, itself, disabling - if treated.

[viva la]

9. I remember those terrible times before Obamacare.

With a pre-existing condition, I couldn't get insurance at any price. Really, the insurance agent would cut me off as soon as I identified the condition. "Sorry, we don't cover that."

At least now they have to cover.

We need what so many much poorer nations have-- national health insurance for all of us.

[Ms. Toad]

11. Yup.

I had my own pre-existing conditions, so I couldn't get insurance either, and as a able-bodied adult wasn't eligible for Medicaid.

For the time I was a stay-at-home mom, I used a series of rotating short-term health insurance policies. Dirt cheap - unless the condition I had flared up. At that point, I would have had to pay out of pocket for very costly medical care - and, depending on how long the flare lasted - go on the state's high risk pool insurance at $1500/month. I moved from that to student insurance (and actually had a flare my last month as a student).

[viva la]

7. People who have employer-subsidized insurance often have NO IDEA how much insurance really costs.

And they also think that every employer provides insurance for every worker.

Their math skills are so poor they can't figure out that even making double the minimum wage would not provide enough $ to pay for basic needs AND health insurance.

The problem is that so many people are willfully, deliberately ignorant. That's the only way they can vote for Trump.

[Silent Type]

8. That's why I don't think as many will be removed from rolls as predicted. What ticks me off

is that our healthcare system doesn’t cover everyone despite Congress having 60 years to straighten this chit out.

So, we end up fighting over whether some poor soul belongs on Medicaid, ACA, Medicare, employers insurance, or somewhere else.

[Texasgal]

10. FACTS!

The "get a job" folks are idiots. Medicaid is NOT easy to obtain; the vetting process is NOT EASY and has very rigorous set of guidelines one must meet to become eligible.

[Justice matters.]

12. In Canada, citizens with gov ID card+photo on it are automatically covered

In the states, many citizens don't want such a state-government issued card (credit-card size) with a portrait and a number, which is puzzling because they also hold a passport and a driver's permit. Go figure.

[2naSalit]

13. I was on...

Medicaid when I was employed as a NPS ranger. I worked a full time schedule with many unpaid hours.

[Snarkoleptic]

14. Mrs. Snark and I pay $950/mo. for that wonderful employer healthcare.

Plus it's got individual deductibles of $2,500 for each of us.

So if a Medicaid recipient needs coverage for two and is lucky enough to land a 20 hour/week job at $15/hr-
$15/hr x 1040 hours per year divided by 12 is $1,300/month before taxes.

After paying the insurance premium, gross pay remaining is $350/mo, so take home is say... $275.
With SNAP being gutted and having to incur expenses to commute, back out another $200 and you've got pocket change.
You still can't get medical care as the deductible is $2,500/person.

The math was never intended to work out and there are not a bunch of 27 year-olds in the basement playing video games, but R's love simple solutions to complex problems. Never mind all that, as long as the wealthy get their tax cuts, it's all good in their eyes.

[keep_left]

15. They're going to regret this rhetoric. Steve Bannon recently...

...mentioned how many of the MAGA chuds are on Medicaid. Knowing what we've seen of these chuds, it is pretty much guaranteed that a significant number of them are marginally and/or sporadically employed. They're going to lose their health care benefits as well.

I guess it's just completely verboten for Bannon to suggest that perhaps health care shouldn't be tied to one's employment status...you know, the way the rest of the world generally does it.