The new GOP controlled House and Senate have swiftly approved their budget resolutions for fiscal 2016 and, not surprising, both take a hatchet to the safety net. While they may not have the force of law, they offer an unsavory preview of what the party has to offer for the next two years. In short, they spell disaster for the mandatory spending program that 68 million people rely on: Medicaid.
The top budget ploys of choice are, once again, block grants and spending caps. Both are being argued for under the assumption that Medicaid spending is out of control and must be fixed. House Budget Chairman Tom Price of Georgia may have promised to lead a new path on health care, but block grants and caps are from the same playbook that cost-cutters go back to every time. Look back at Rep. Paul D. Ryan‘s, R-Wis., budget resolution that passed the House last April. Read the full article here. »
