It’ll take all your time and money honey you’ll survive:
As states across the country look for ways to trim billions off their spending on Medicaid, New Jersey is garnering particular attention for a proposal that opponents characterize as an unprecedented and draconian attempt to balance the state’s precarious budget on the backs of society’s most vulnerable populations.
The debates taking place in statehouses, clinics and living rooms crystallize the unfortunate truth about economic recessions: Citizens rely most on public services just when the government has the least money to spend on those services.
In New Jersey’s case, changes would mean a parent of two earning more than $103 per week would be ineligible.
Hey- an income of 103 bucks a week for four people is plenty of money to buy insurance. You’ll just have to be savvy! I’m sure Megan McCardle can take the time to give them instructions.
New Jersey’s waiver, which it plans to submit June 30, would drop the income cap for new adult enrollees to about 25 percent of the poverty level. Although current enrollees can stay enrolled, the state estimates 23,000 parents will be denied coverage next year. That’s in addition to 70,000 turned away due to separate 2011 reduction.
“It is the worst health policy decision I’ve seen in my 13 years in the Senate,” said state Sen. Joseph Vitale, while his Democratic colleague in the Assembly, Gordon Johnson, made it personal:
“No one but this anti-working class governor would propose making it difficult for the poorest of the poor to obtain health care coverage,” Johnson said.
Responding to pointed questions from lawmakers about why no detailed breakdown of the savings had been presented, the Department of Human Services on Friday released its estimates. The state projects eligibility cuts will save $17 million to $32 million, while moving patients from fee-for-service plans into managed-care will save up to $40 million. Officials are also counting on $200 million in increased federal funding.
With state revenues falling across the country, almost every governor is seeking to rein in Medicaid costs. But most have focused on dropping services from the benefits package, reducing reimbursement rates or expanding managed-care. Only New Jersey and Arizona have gone as far in turning patients away.
Sociopaths.