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Lots of states are having a hard time with Medicaid. In states with Republican Governors, like oh, for instance, Arizona? The "answer" is to cut people from the rolls without regard to long-term impact on the health and welfare of their citizens.
Here in Illinois we did something a little different. We re-elected (in a very close race) our admittedly lackluster, but hard-working Governor, Pat Quinn. Quinn and the Democratic-led legislature put together a bi-partisan committee to reform Medicaid in Illinois, and the Bill was signed into law at the end of January. Medicaid recipients were informed by mail of the changes with their April Medicaid cards.
Make recipients prove current income and state residency on a regular basis (duh). I can't believe this is a new requirement, but it is.
Limit on income for recipients is now $66,000 for a family of four. If a family of four at that income has to buy health insurance that's a real hardship, but if you're a state trying to cost-contain, you can make the argument that 66 grand a year isn't poor.
There's a two-year moratorium on expanding the program while they figure out what's happening with the economy. More unemployment will mean a higher demand, less unemployment will mean a stronger revenue stream. It's amazing what happens when a state doesn't depend on Laffer-curve economics, and it's real dollars when people find a job.
Illinois is also expanding "coordinated care" for Medicaid, which means you have to have a medical home and a regular doctor for your family. They are also expanding use of 90 day prescriptions to save money.
I can't believe Governors aren't freaking out on Congress and demanding single payer and reform of big pharma's pricing structure, but then again for certain Republicans (not here, this bill had BI-PARTISAN support) it's easier on your campaign coffers to cut poor people from their health insurance.
This bill is expected to save the state $774 million over 5 years.
I don't have to tell you that our Democratic Governor has no plans to strip unions of their collective bargaining rights, either. And I'm not going to lie to you and say we haven't had a tax increase, we have. But our state income tax now matches that We-Love-Taxes state of ALABAMA.
Anyway, as an Illinois Medicaid recipient, I'm so glad our Governor is a Democrat. Perhaps the Democratic Governors' Association could have a simple slogan: "Competent government makes a positive difference in people's real everyday lives."
