Augusta, MAINE – In case you missed it, AARP is panning a move by the Trump Administration that would give states greater freedom to restrict access to Medicaid, a government program that provides health coverage to millions of Americans, including eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities.
In a post on its website, AARP highlights how instituting work requirements – as Governor Paul LePage seeks to do in Maine – would deny people access to health coverage they need, which could have a negative impact on their health and make it more difficult for them to pursue jobs and remain employed. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, as the post observes, 59 percent of nondisabled adults under 65 on Medicaid have jobs.
“A work requirement will present an unnecessary barrier to health coverage for a sector of the population that greatly needs coverage, including many people who suffer from recurring illness stemming from chronic and behavioral health conditions,” said Lynda Flowers, a senior strategic policy adviser at AARP in the post.
AARP continues in its post to point out other potential issues with the move by the Trump Administration, including highlighting a study by a research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation which asserts that a work requirement could drive up government costs as people who are denied coverage go to emergency rooms for health care needs instead.
To read AARP’s full post, click HERE.
###