Anna Wilde Mathews
Appearances
WSJ What’s News
Medicaid Cuts: What’s on the Table and What It Means for You
One point to keep in mind is that if Republicans choose to try to make work requirements a mandatory part of Medicaid, that could face a very significant court challenge, likely from blue states that really don't agree with that policy direction.
WSJ What’s News
Medicaid Cuts: What’s on the Table and What It Means for You
And the Supreme Court has in the past signaled that there are limits to the federal government's ability to impose things on states in terms of their Medicaid program. So that would definitely be a live issue.
WSJ What’s News
Medicaid Cuts: What’s on the Table and What It Means for You
In terms of understanding the impact of a pullback in federal funding, federal funding is approximately 70% of Medicaid's funding. The rest comes from the states. So if the federal government pulls back, states have to either find that extra money or they have to make the very politically difficult choice of cutting back benefits or cutting back
WSJ What’s News
Medicaid Cuts: What’s on the Table and What It Means for You
availability, cutting back coverage, and the number of people who can access it. That's a really hard call for a state politician, no matter what your party is, and leaves states in a very difficult position.
WSJ What’s News
Medicaid Cuts: What’s on the Table and What It Means for You
Yes, five out of eight nursing home residents are on Medicaid. It represents more than half of long-term care spending. So it's really essential to that sector and to people getting that care. And honestly, it's not just low-income people. People spend down and find ways to access it because there really is no other government program that pays for long-term care in that way.
WSJ What’s News
Medicaid Cuts: What’s on the Table and What It Means for You
There's not really a substitute.
WSJ What’s News
Medicaid Cuts: What’s on the Table and What It Means for You
Larry mentioned this earlier in the conversation, but particularly certain types of providers, nursing homes very high among them, but also all types of rural providers. Medicaid plays a very important role in the health care economy of rural areas. And some of these providers, if they're not getting paid,
WSJ What’s News
Medicaid Cuts: What’s on the Table and What It Means for You
to take care of some of these patients may not really be able to stay in business or at least at the scale that they are. One key thing to understand about hospitals, for instance, is that they are obligated under the law to treat and stabilize anyone who comes to their doors, whether they're insured or uninsured. When those people have Medicaid or can be signed up for Medicaid,
WSJ What’s News
Medicaid Cuts: What’s on the Table and What It Means for You
the hospital can get paid. If that option isn't there, the hospitals essentially have to, in some cases, eat the cost. And that, hospitals would argue, is not always sustainable.
WSJ What’s News
Medicaid Cuts: What’s on the Table and What It Means for You
Thank you so much for having me.