Gearing up

Most people who read this blog know that everything is going to be on the table-and nearly everyone is going to be on the menu in the next presidential administration. We know that Paul Ryan wants to kill Medicare in its current form. But in this NY Times piece, Gene Sperling warns us not to take our eyes off Medicaid. We can expect a major push to block grant the program and cut it hugely over several years. It would also threaten CHIP, the popular Children's' Health Insurance Program.

Who would this hurt? Very low income parents receiving temporary assistance. Kids in families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level. The millions of working Americans earning less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level who gained coverage under the Medicaid Expansion provision of the Affordable Care Act. People with disabilities. And elderly people who worked hard all their lives but burned through assets when they needed long term care. Not to mention the millions of people who work in the field of health and long term care.

If you care about things like this, it's probably time to do the whole loins/girding up thing. Like now.