Jul 25, 2018
July 30 marks a very important anniversary in our modern political history.
Fifty-three years ago in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law, creating two programs that would disproportionately improve the lives of older and low-income Americans -- especially women.
Fast-forward to 2018, and both programs are very much under siege. Nowhere is the struggle starker than in the House Republican budget -- titled "A Brighter American Future" -- now on Capitol Hill.
The importance of Medicare as a source of women's health coverage can't be over-emphasized.
Older and disabled women make up more than half the total beneficiaries, and two-thirds of those 85 and over. This budget from hell takes a giant step toward privatizing the program by allowing insurance companies into the Medicare marketplace, which means benefits could be caught in a race to the bottom and become too paltry to cover all but the barest of medical needs.
Medicaid is the joint federal-state program that provides low-income people with health care. The proposed Republican budget repeals the Medicaid expansion that came with Obamacare, which will cause 14 to 17 million people to lose coverage.
The Medicaid remnants that survive would be turned into block grants, allowing states to pick and choose who gets covered and what kind of benefits they get -- no doubt with little or no federal oversight. That approach makes it easier to cut the program without saying how many people would be dropped, or how much benefits would be lowered.
Since poor women under retirement age and their children are the biggest group of beneficiaries, it stands to reason they'd also be the biggest losers.
But there's more. Because women have more chronic health conditions like arthritis, hypertension, and osteoporosis, they're more likely to need institutional care. Since Medicare generally doesn't cover nursing home care, Medicaid provides such care for those with disabilities and/or very low incomes -- and 60 percent of those folks are women.
What's not in the budget? Long gone is the Obama-era effort close the Gingrich-Edwards tax loophole that allows some high-income individuals (possibly including Donald Trump) to avoid Medicare and Social Security payroll taxes altogether, resulting in billions of lost revenue for both programs.
The House Republican budget probably won't pass in its present form. But with Republican majorities in both houses of Congress, even compromises are sure to favor more cuts.
"A Brighter American Future?" Hardly. This summer's 53rd anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid looks like a less than happy one for those that depend on them most -- namely women, but really anyone counting on growing older.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
This column was distributed by OtherWords.
Martha Burk
Martha Burk is a political psychologist, women's issues expert, and director of the Corporate Accountability Project for the National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO) and the author of the "Your Voice, Your Vote" (2020). Follow Martha on Twitter @MarthaBurk.
July 30 marks a very important anniversary in our modern political history.
Fifty-three years ago in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law, creating two programs that would disproportionately improve the lives of older and low-income Americans -- especially women.
Fast-forward to 2018, and both programs are very much under siege. Nowhere is the struggle starker than in the House Republican budget -- titled "A Brighter American Future" -- now on Capitol Hill.
The importance of Medicare as a source of women's health coverage can't be over-emphasized.
Older and disabled women make up more than half the total beneficiaries, and two-thirds of those 85 and over. This budget from hell takes a giant step toward privatizing the program by allowing insurance companies into the Medicare marketplace, which means benefits could be caught in a race to the bottom and become too paltry to cover all but the barest of medical needs.
Medicaid is the joint federal-state program that provides low-income people with health care. The proposed Republican budget repeals the Medicaid expansion that came with Obamacare, which will cause 14 to 17 million people to lose coverage.
The Medicaid remnants that survive would be turned into block grants, allowing states to pick and choose who gets covered and what kind of benefits they get -- no doubt with little or no federal oversight. That approach makes it easier to cut the program without saying how many people would be dropped, or how much benefits would be lowered.
Since poor women under retirement age and their children are the biggest group of beneficiaries, it stands to reason they'd also be the biggest losers.
But there's more. Because women have more chronic health conditions like arthritis, hypertension, and osteoporosis, they're more likely to need institutional care. Since Medicare generally doesn't cover nursing home care, Medicaid provides such care for those with disabilities and/or very low incomes -- and 60 percent of those folks are women.
What's not in the budget? Long gone is the Obama-era effort close the Gingrich-Edwards tax loophole that allows some high-income individuals (possibly including Donald Trump) to avoid Medicare and Social Security payroll taxes altogether, resulting in billions of lost revenue for both programs.
The House Republican budget probably won't pass in its present form. But with Republican majorities in both houses of Congress, even compromises are sure to favor more cuts.
"A Brighter American Future?" Hardly. This summer's 53rd anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid looks like a less than happy one for those that depend on them most -- namely women, but really anyone counting on growing older.
From Your Site Articles
Martha Burk
Martha Burk is a political psychologist, women's issues expert, and director of the Corporate Accountability Project for the National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO) and the author of the "Your Voice, Your Vote" (2020). Follow Martha on Twitter @MarthaBurk.
July 30 marks a very important anniversary in our modern political history.
Fifty-three years ago in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law, creating two programs that would disproportionately improve the lives of older and low-income Americans -- especially women.
Fast-forward to 2018, and both programs are very much under siege. Nowhere is the struggle starker than in the House Republican budget -- titled "A Brighter American Future" -- now on Capitol Hill.
The importance of Medicare as a source of women's health coverage can't be over-emphasized.
Older and disabled women make up more than half the total beneficiaries, and two-thirds of those 85 and over. This budget from hell takes a giant step toward privatizing the program by allowing insurance companies into the Medicare marketplace, which means benefits could be caught in a race to the bottom and become too paltry to cover all but the barest of medical needs.
Medicaid is the joint federal-state program that provides low-income people with health care. The proposed Republican budget repeals the Medicaid expansion that came with Obamacare, which will cause 14 to 17 million people to lose coverage.
The Medicaid remnants that survive would be turned into block grants, allowing states to pick and choose who gets covered and what kind of benefits they get -- no doubt with little or no federal oversight. That approach makes it easier to cut the program without saying how many people would be dropped, or how much benefits would be lowered.
Since poor women under retirement age and their children are the biggest group of beneficiaries, it stands to reason they'd also be the biggest losers.
But there's more. Because women have more chronic health conditions like arthritis, hypertension, and osteoporosis, they're more likely to need institutional care. Since Medicare generally doesn't cover nursing home care, Medicaid provides such care for those with disabilities and/or very low incomes -- and 60 percent of those folks are women.
What's not in the budget? Long gone is the Obama-era effort close the Gingrich-Edwards tax loophole that allows some high-income individuals (possibly including Donald Trump) to avoid Medicare and Social Security payroll taxes altogether, resulting in billions of lost revenue for both programs.
The House Republican budget probably won't pass in its present form. But with Republican majorities in both houses of Congress, even compromises are sure to favor more cuts.
"A Brighter American Future?" Hardly. This summer's 53rd anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid looks like a less than happy one for those that depend on them most -- namely women, but really anyone counting on growing older.
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.