RECENT HEALTH POLICY DEBATES IN USA: WASHINGTON HEALTH FIGHT UNCOVERS BROAD SUPPORT FOR MEDICAID, GUARENTEED NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES SYSTEMS

                                                       
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RECENT HEALTH POLICY DEBATES IN USA:

WASHINGTON HEALTH FIGHT UNCOVERS BROAD SUPPORT FOR MEDICAID, GUARENTEED NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES SYSTEMS

LT Public Health Policy Collective

The GOP - Grand Old Patricians Party-  can't decide how to really screw the working class and poor people.  Oh Yes; we still have a democracy and they still must answer to some people; some of the time. This is one of those times.

The current debate in both the House and Senate in the US, has uncovered new phenomena, that anti-national health policy corporate, academics and political barbarians were not ready for.  That is the ground swell of support for BOTH Medicare and Medicaid.

It’s been well known, that privatizing the Medicare health care program that guarantees health services for seniors over 65 and the disabled, has become largely unpopular.  Substituting a voucher system, a privatization policy by the Republican Party ideologues and others of the right and center and their supporting think tanks [CATO; Heritage Foundation, and some parts of the Brookings Institute, etc.] had to be shelved.  Of course, the KOCH Brothers and similar corporate interests are still feverishly supporting and financing this direction for MEDICARE.

What they didn’t anticipate was the strong support by a very high percentage of everyday people in the US involving Medicaid.  Medicaid right now has become untouchable also. 

“Medicaid provides health coverage to millions of Americans, including eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities. Medicaid is administered by states, according to federal requirements.  The program is funded jointly by states and the federal government.”  Federal definition.

While the right wing corporate elite and their minions hate Medicare; they despise Medicaid.   Theirs is a simple contempt that the rich and powerful have always had against working class and poor people.  But, now it’s more than that. 

WHY?  Simple, the combination of Medicare and Medicaid has the fundamental ingredients of a National Health Service for the United States that exists, and is doing very well in England, and in various other European and Scandinavian countries.  Of course, it thrives in Cuba.  It’s under attack in those countries, but it survives fairly will.  

The fact that some Medicare recipients are also eligible for Medicaid to pay the high co-pays that Medicare requires given their level of family income makes the health care barbarians crazy. They want them to pay out their pockets and buy more insurance.  That cost figure is rather high these days.  Both political parties agreed to these co-pays since enactment in 1964-65.  Other compromises at the date of origination of both is that Medicare is privately administered [adding to the cost] and Medicaid would be a Federal/State payment system.  State's rights are always at the heart of this country's refusal to declare the Slave State / "States Rights" era dead and gone.

Leaving Medicaid in the hands of some and maybe most governors are proven to be a disaster, but somehow it is working.   Medicaid's popularity is becoming the undoing of the “

Trump Hate the People Health Plan.”

 Governors Felt the Pinch

 While US representatives in the House and Senate are removed from their constituents for the better part of their life in Washington, D.C., governors are not.  And, especially since, governors must fork up 50% of the funding for Medicaid.  Some governors hate paying that 50%; the peoples' rage against high cost of health services and the general economic crisis in the US is rampant and their re-election is in play.  This rage is now more and more well above the surface.

 Former New York Governor George Pataki

For example, former conservative New York State governor George Pataki had to temper his right-wing activities when he decided to save money and check his own mother into a nursing home AS A MEDICAID RECIPIENT. He found a way to impoverish his mother to qualify. Pataki’s experience is not dissimilar from lawmakers in Washington, D.C.  

And, this is not dissimilar from Tories and Labor Party officials in England.

 None of them want to shell out large amounts of money for their own direct family members; let alone their extended family members.  They fear that knock on the door from these family members to pay the bills at skilled nursing and related facilities.  The co-pays demanded more and more by Medicare and related expenses would be easier paid from the public coffers.   And, given the economic crisis; many relatives can qualify for Medicaid.

 Democrats

 But, if you expect to rely on the Democratic Party leaders to take this new situation and run with it; think again.  Too many of the corporate leaders of the Democratic Party agree with keeping both Medicare and Medicaid small and even agreeing to privatization some of its parts; if not in whole.  They’ve done it in the past many times.   And, even some of the think tanks set up to protect Medicare and Medicaid are stuck in this old thinking.  As typical not for profit facilities, they are not thinking big enough on the side of recipients, and just side with Democratic Party polices for their funding.  

 Modern Policy Is Needed: Medicaid Can Put Health Policy Over the Top

 More expansive, modern thinking on the Medicare for All / Single Payer option is urgently needed.   Too many of these well-meaning policy activists are afraid to tackle the Medicaid issue.   It’s a class thing.  Medicare is a broad class based issue and Medicaid is a working class/poor issue.   Racial issues also are involved.  The latter does not get the proper attention.

That is a major mistake.  Now is the time to act for all working-class people. 

Labor Today

Public Health Policy Collective