Democrats: Save Medicaid but don’t defend it

John Kitzhaber, a former emergency physician, was a three-term Democratic governor of Oregon and author of the Medicaid model discussed in this essay.

As negotiations continue on the budget bill President Donald Trump wants Congress to pass, Medicaid is squarely in the crosshairs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates Medicaid could lose up to $880 billion over the next 10 years, and that millions of low-income Americans would lose their health coverage.

The Democratic Party has understandably reacted with outrage. But its “no cuts or reforms to Medicaid, period” mantra creates a false choice between cuts and defending the status quo. On one hand, any action that reduces funding for Medicaid, without also making structural changes to the program, will in fact cause millions to lose coverage. That is unacceptable — and will increase costs in the long run for most Americans. People without insurance tend to access care through emergency rooms, where federal law requires they be seen and treated. That uncompensated cost is reflected in higher premiums for those who have health insurance.

Read the full article at The Washington Post