How US Taxpayers Will Pay Dearly for Medicaid Cuts
INTERVIEW ON THE PRICE OF BUSINESS SHOW, MEDIA PARTNER OF THIS SITE.
Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, interviewed Dr. David Wilcox.
Health Transparency: The Real Truth with Dr. David Wilcox
On the surface Medicaid cuts may sound like a good idea to reduce government spending but let us examine what the real impacts will be to all Americans covered under the American Healthcare System.
Medicaid currently provides health coverage to over 70 million Americans, which includes children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. The program is critical in rural areas and communities, where access to affordable healthcare is already limited.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health insurance coverage to low-income individuals and families, where states administer their own Medicaid programs within broad federal guidelines. Meaning eligibility requirements and covered services can vary by state but generally include coverage for necessary medical services like doctor visits, hospital stays, and prescription drugs for those who meet income and asset limitations. The federal government provides matching funds to states based on their spending on Medicaid eligible individuals, essentially sharing the cost of the program with each state.
The current proposed budget doesn’t directly call for cuts to Medicaid but it does call for slashing $880 billion to pay for the massive tax cuts being proposed and many feel that this will impact the Medicaid program. There is also concern work requirements will be added to the program.
During Trump’s first term in office work restrictions for Medicaid were put in place. Due to legal proceedings, only two states were able to implement them. Arkansas and Georgia both introduced work restrictions. In Arkansas, more than 18,000 Medicaid enrollees lost coverage in the nine-month period in which the work requirement was in effect. The reporting process was a major cause of coverage losses. Many Medicaid enrollees who were subject to the work requirements found the reporting process confusing or inaccessible, and nearly a third of the target population was unaware of the policy altogether.
The Medicaid work restriction program in Georgia is called Pathways to Coverage. This program is not really saving any money as the reporting burden to both the Medicaid recipient and the program administration costs the state over $26 million, with more than 90 percent of spending on program administration, not medical services.
The real impact of reducing Medicaid might save the government some money but not the average American. When people do not have healthcare insurance they tend to delay care and healthcare issues that could have been diagnosed early are caught later on when the symptoms are so severe that they end up in the emergency room to be treated. The emergency room is the costliest way to receive healthcare in the American Healthcare System.
When the patient can’t afford to pay for the care they receive they end up with huge medical debts and the hospital and healthcare providers usually do not collect from these individuals. Instead, they raise the price of healthcare for people with insurance to offset the costs.
The insurance companies pass on the additional costs to the Americans with healthcare insurance as they still have to make a profit for their shareholders. The end game is increased costs for the healthcare consumer who may be struggling to make ends meet.
While cutting Medicaid to save money sounds like it will work, the end result is it will drive up costs for most insured Americans who have to bear the brunt of this cost-saving method. Hardly a fair trade-off.
What you can do is write to your state congressperson and senator and implore them not to make cuts to Medicaid. Cuts to Medicaid will adversely impact Medicaid recipient’s health and your wallet.
To contact your state congress person use this link: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
To contact your state senator use this link: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
Let them know that you don’t stand behind cuts to Medicaid.
According to a statement, “Healthcare is complex and that is not an accident. It is complex by the healthcare entities vying for your healthcare dollars. Covid has exacerbated the American Healthcare System, which was fragile, to begin with. Many clinicians are leaving healthcare due to burnout. How does the average layperson navigate the complexities of the American Healthcare System where a prescription could cost you $5 at one pharmacy and $500 at another? What does the average layperson do when their insurance company rejects their claim? Proactive education of the American Healthcare System prior to accessing it is the key to safely navigating the healthcare system. Until now, little information has been available to provide the layperson with the knowledge they need to be a better partner in their health care. Dr. David Wilcox’s book How to Avoid Being a Victim of the American Healthcare System: A Patient’s Handbook for Survival” is a game-changer and will provide you with the skill set you need to navigate the American Healthcare System.
Website: https://drdavidwilcox.com/
Dr. Wilcox is a Doctorate prepared nurse who also holds a Masters in Health Administration and is Board Certified in Nursing Informatics. Dr. Wilcox has 28 years of healthcare experience in which he worked as a bedside nurse, hospital administrator, and in healthcare information technology which has helped him to develop his unique perspective on the American Healthcare System.
Dr. Wilcox is the author of the book “How to Avoid Being a Victim of the American Healthcare System: A Patient’s Handbook for Survival (2021)” available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578878364
Dr. Wilcox currently resides in North Carolina with his wife and their three dogs.
Dr Wilcox’s website: Dr. David Wilcox – Healthcare, American Healthcare System (drdavidwilcox.com)
Connect with Dr. David Wilcox on social media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-wilcox-48631113/
X/Twitter: @DrDavidHelps
