In a marathon hearing of the House of Representatives that started Tuesday at 2 p.m. and continued through the night and into Wednesday. members of the Energy and Commerce Committee — including three from New Jersey — debated and marked up portions of a bill that would make significant changes to Medicaid.
“We are prepared to stop the billions of dollars of waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program by beginning to reign in the loopholes, by ensuring states have the flexibility to remove ineligible recipients from their roles, and removing beneficiaries who enrolled in multiple states,” said U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY).
Countered U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA): “Make no mistake. The policies in this big ugly bill do the exact opposite. If this bill became law, it would devastate the health care infrastructure and all of your constituents rely on. It would strip the healthcare coverage from millions of our most vulnerable citizens.”
Some 71 million Americans depend on Medicaid for their health insurance. These are low-to-moderate income people who can’t afford private insurance, in some cases because of illness or disability that has forced them out of work. Lawmakers took turns sharing individual cases of people on Medicaid whose lives would be compromised or even lost without it.
One example was Sasha, from New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.
“She was born with cerebral palsy, and the right side of her body doesn’t function due to a stroke she had in her mother’s womb,” said Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-CA). “Since she was 7 years old, Sasha has suffered from seizures. Her mother Lana, who is also here, quit her job to care for Sasha. Without Medicaid, Sasha wouldn’t have access treatment, medications or doctor visits.
“Who here is standing up for Sasha and millions of people like her? Democrats stand with you, Sasha, in opposing any Medicaid cuts. We need just four Republican cuts. I hope we can find them, and I hope one is your Congress member.”
Barragan was alluding to Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-7th). The Republican congressman was noticeably silent throughout the more than 24 hour hearing, even after promising he wouldn’t cut Medicaid, as pointed out by the ranking Democratic member, New Jersey’s Representative Frank Pallone.
“For months now, President Trump and the Republicans promised the American people they would not cut Medicaid benefits or strip away people’s healthcare,” Pallone said. “In February, Trump said and I’m quoting, Medicare, Medicaid, none of that is going to be touched. So you can call it a cut, call it a trim. Bottom line is these people are going to lose their Medicaid.”
Democrats say up to the 13.7 million will lose coverage if Republicans’ changes go into effect, including work requirements to maintain eligibility.
“I see 7.6 million different waste, fraud and abuse cases, 1.4 million illegals that are currently on the rolls. 1.2 million individuals who are ineligible, and let us not forget the 4.8 million able bodied adults, healthy adults, that choose not to work,” said Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL).
Republicans have imposed an up to $35 dollar co-pay for individuals who make at least 138% of the federal poverty level, which is about $15,ooo a year. And they have cut incentives for states to adopt Medicaid expansion for those who earn that amount.
“This would all be a different conversation if this wasn’t part of a budget resolution that calls for the extension of the Trump tax cuts,” said U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8th). “We know that those cuts have to be paired with spending cuts, which is what this conversation is about, the 880 billion we have to cut. And that’s why it makes listening to our friends across the aisle tie themselves in knots talking about how you’re improving Medicaid, but you’re not doing that.”
Democrats proposed several amendments to the bill that were all voted down, including by Kean Jr.
