Medicaid Rule Called A Threat To Millions

[kurth]

Medicaid Rule Called A Threat To Millions
Proof of Citizenship Needed for Benefits
By Susan Levine and Mary Otto
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, June 30, 2006; A01

A Medicaid rule takes effect tomorrow that will require more than 50 million poor Americans to prove their citizenship or lose their medical benefits or long-term care. Under the rule, intended to curb fraud by illegal immigrants, such proof as a passport or a birth certificate must be offered at the time a person applies for Medicaid benefits or during annual reenrollment in the state-federal program for the poor and disabled.

Critics fear that the provision will have the unintended consequence of harming several million U.S. citizens who, for a variety of reasons, will not be able to produce the necessary paperwork. They include mentally ill, mentally retarded and homeless people, as well as elderly men and women, especially African Americans born in an era when hospitals in the rural South barred black women from their maternity wards.

"My clients are absolutely dependent on Medicaid for their care," said Andrea Sloan, a lawyer and court-appointed guardian for more than 40 District residents. Many suffer from dementia, lack family contacts and have little in the way of paper trails. Although Sloan is convinced of their citizenship, she is not always sure of such details as their birthplace...

Robert Maruca, head of the D.C. Medical Assistance Administration, said yesterday that he expects that many residents with a right to Medicaid will be unable to demonstrate their citizenship. "I'm afraid they may be dropped out of the program," he said. Stephanie Sivert, manager of Virginia's medical assistance program, said clients who are mentally disabled or homeless, living in institutional settings, often have made a complete break with their pasts. "It's not going to be easy for them to access these records," she said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/29/AR2006062902093.html

[Sadie5]

1. Will they just let them die?

I guess this would be a way for * to invent new jobs. If this many people were to be cut off without medical help and allowed to simply die then workers would be needed to cart the bodies away. then, what about nursing home patients, some very elderly, would they be turned out into the street?

[itzamirakul]

2. Well, Bush behavior during Katrina showed us how he and his

administration feel about those in the lower income categories. No, they will talk about it and then create a new distraction to take our attention away from these unfortunates. Bill Gates might have to step in and even with his billions, it won't be enough.

The newspapers will not show outrage, nor will there be a coordinated effort to make sure that news outlets all over the country tell the story, so there are people who will never even know the truth about this story.

Will they just let them die? Well...yes...

[cornermouse]

3. But look at how much money they saved....

:sarcasm:

[CountAllVotes]

4. how fair is this?

I'm sure there are old people out there that came to this country many years ago that are citizens but it might be rather difficult for them to provide all of the documents needed. This would most certainly be the case for a severely disabled person, someone that has lost their eyesight or have some other serious problem.

:wtf: is wrong with these people!?

God I am SO sick of this crap! It is not fair nor right!

:kick:

[annabanana]

5. It's too late to recommend this, but I HAVE to bump it.

This ruling will KILL people. The oldest and the sickest are most at risk.

Those of us of relatively sound mind and body, born in hospitals that still exist, of white parents, in the mid-20th century, have very little understanding of how hard it can be to come up with PROOF that we are American citizens.

It horrifies me that this administration is willing to kill people so casually in order to make points with the "drown the government" crowd.

It is not even going to save that much money.

(Every once in awhile I yearn for that vengeful, torturous God of the Old Testament.)

[annabanana]

6. another bump. . . . . . .n/t