Democrats are telling everyone who will listen that the end of the pandemic-era de facto ban on disenrolling people from Medicaid will push millions of people into the ranks of the uninsured. But a return to Medicaid’s pre-COVID eligibility rules is prudent — not just for taxpayers but also for former beneficiaries, who will in many cases be able to secure higher-quality coverage than they had during the pandemic.
Medicaid was designed to insure the truly destitute. During the pandemic, lawmakers wanted to ensure no one fell through the cracks. So the federal government promised states additional dollars if they kept people enrolled continuously, even if they would have been ineligible under normal circumstances.
After COVID, Medicaid enrollment is declining. That’s cause for celebration
Sally C. Pipes
For most Americans, the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency was a relief. But some progressive activists and politicians would seemingly prefer that the crisis — and the gusher of federal spending it unleashed — never end.
Democrats are telling everyone who will listen that the end of the pandemic-era de facto ban on disenrolling people from Medicaid will push millions of people into the ranks of the uninsured. But a return to Medicaid’s pre-COVID eligibility rules is prudent — not just for taxpayers but also for former beneficiaries, who will in many cases be able to secure higher-quality coverage than they had during the pandemic.
Medicaid was designed to insure the truly destitute. During the pandemic, lawmakers wanted to ensure no one fell through the cracks. So the federal government promised states additional dollars if they kept people enrolled continuously, even if they would have been ineligible under normal circumstances.
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