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TRUMPCARE: Kentucky to now require LITERACY TESTS for "certain populations" to receive medical care.
Throughout his 2015 gubernatorial campaign, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin repeatedly promised that if elected, he'd get rid of both the state's award-winning, beloved Kynect (sorry..."kynect"
ACA exchange as well as fully repealing ACA Medicaid expansion in the state.
For various reasons, including his Democratic opponent running a poor campaign and healthy doses of racism and stupidity, 85,000 more voters still chose Bevin anyway, and he did indeed pull the plug on kynect last year. However, he had quite a bit more trouble tackling Medicaid repeal than he apparently counted on, and walked back that promise significantly after taking office, instead pushing a bizarre plan to set up some sort of "rewards point system" for Medicaid expansion enrollees instead.
Until today, that is. Just 24 hours after CMS Administrator Seema Verma announced that it's open season on adding work requirements to Medicaid enrollment eligibility, Kentucky officially implemented just such a measure:
-------------------------------
There’s a “literacy” provision. If you don’t work enough hours and lose coverage, you can get to see a doctor again if you can pass a state literacy course about health or money.
To remain eligible for coverage, non-exempt beneficiaries must complete 80 hours per month of community engagement activities, such as employment, education, job skills training, and community service. Beneficiaries will have their eligibility suspended for failure to demonstrate compliance with the community engagement requirement and will be able to reactivate their eligibility on the first day of the month after they complete 80 hours of community engagement in a 30-day period or a state-approved health literacy or financial literacy course. Beneficiaries who are in an eligibility suspension for failure to meet the requirement on their redetermination date will have their enrollment terminated and will be required to submit a new application. Kentucky will provide good cause exemptions in certain circumstances for beneficiaries who cannot meet requirements.
ACA exchange as well as fully repealing ACA Medicaid expansion in the state.
For various reasons, including his Democratic opponent running a poor campaign and healthy doses of racism and stupidity, 85,000 more voters still chose Bevin anyway, and he did indeed pull the plug on kynect last year. However, he had quite a bit more trouble tackling Medicaid repeal than he apparently counted on, and walked back that promise significantly after taking office, instead pushing a bizarre plan to set up some sort of "rewards point system" for Medicaid expansion enrollees instead.
Until today, that is. Just 24 hours after CMS Administrator Seema Verma announced that it's open season on adding work requirements to Medicaid enrollment eligibility, Kentucky officially implemented just such a measure:
-------------------------------
There’s a “literacy” provision. If you don’t work enough hours and lose coverage, you can get to see a doctor again if you can pass a state literacy course about health or money.
To remain eligible for coverage, non-exempt beneficiaries must complete 80 hours per month of community engagement activities, such as employment, education, job skills training, and community service. Beneficiaries will have their eligibility suspended for failure to demonstrate compliance with the community engagement requirement and will be able to reactivate their eligibility on the first day of the month after they complete 80 hours of community engagement in a 30-day period or a state-approved health literacy or financial literacy course. Beneficiaries who are in an eligibility suspension for failure to meet the requirement on their redetermination date will have their enrollment terminated and will be required to submit a new application. Kentucky will provide good cause exemptions in certain circumstances for beneficiaries who cannot meet requirements.
[link:https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/12/1732355/-Welcome-to-Trumpcare-Kentucky-to-now-require-LITERACY-TESTS-before-you-can-receive-medical-care|
17 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
This is problematic enough without soaking our brains in pickle juice, trumpster style.
Politico:
Kentucky Medicaid enrollees booted from coverage for not complying with employment rules can be reinstated if they work or participate in a related activity for 80 hours over a month, or if they complete a health or financial literacy course.
It'll be interesting to see how long it takes Kentucky to provide those courses under this governor. And whether the state will address the obvious huge problem by helping create jobs, or even volunteer positions, for those people able to show up consistently month after month.
This is called "progressive" action, and if taken could benefit a lot of people who do actually want to work. Reportedly, 60% of all able Medicaid recipients already work. This is about the rest.
But the biggest barrier to reinstating healthcare for those with genuine issues is going to be successfully taking the steps needed to demonstrate compliance or inability to comply. Pick up the papers, fill them out correctly, have employer, physician, teacher complete their parts, submit, follow up to make sure they're being processed, etc., etc.
Take a look at that 14% on the left who are considered technically employable. Hopefully, plenty of people in Kentucky will volunteer and train to help.
