(The Washington Post) “. . . most health policy experts, including a few noted conservatives, have regarded the government insurance enabling millions of people to afford medical care as a right that should not hinge on individuals’ compliance with other rules.”


(Note from the blogger: I couldn’t bare to see another picture of Trump, and certainly not within two blog posts. So if you’re wondering about the quote from President Eisenhower, it’s an alternate picture for this post. Thanks for indulging me.)


The Trump administration issued guidance to states early Thursday that will allow them to compel people to work or prepare for jobs in order to receive Medicaid for the first time in the half-century history of this pillar of the nation’s social safety net.

The letter to state Medicaid directors opens the door for states to cut off Medicaid benefits to Americans unless they have a job, are in school, are a caregiver, volunteer or participate in other approved forms of “community engagement” — an idea that some states had broached over the past several years but that the Obama administration had consistently rebuffed.

Click to continue reading. By Amy Goldstein, Jan 11, 2018.