S. Carolina Tells Welfare Abusers No More Mooching, Either Work or Get the Boot
Earlier this month, the inimitable Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York got herself in a snit over a Trump administration rule that able-bodied individuals without any dependents who aren’t working or involved in some form of education or training won’t be eligible for food stamp benefits anymore.
She rage-tweeted how her family had used food stamps after her father died — only to forget that whole part about able-bodied individuals without dependents.
I only mention that because I can see her thumbs getting warmed up now that South Carolina is essentially doing the same thing for Medicaid beneficiaries.
And that’s not the only thing which will inflame the left, either. According to the Washington Examiner, the state isn’t going to expand Medicaid along with the new work requirements, which is something Obamacare authorizes.
Instead, the Examiner reported, “The state will expand eligibility by increasing the qualifying income threshold from its current requirement of 67% of the federal poverty line to 100% of the poverty line.”
On Thursday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved two waivers which allowed the state to proceed with the program.
“South Carolina’s economy is booming, wages are up, and our unemployment rate is at an all-time low at 2.6%,” GOP South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said in a news release.
“Competition for workers is fierce and businesses are struggling to fill vacancies. In this economy there is no excuse for the able bodied not to be working. Through collaboration with our federal partners we have designed an innovative initiative that will improve health outcomes while also addressing our state’s workforce needs.”
“In a spirit of humility — recognizing that Washington D.C. does not hold all the answers – the Trump Administration has sought at every turn to grant states flexibility in shaping their Medicaid programs,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma, who joined McMaster on Thursday, said.
“When actually given the opportunity, states have real solutions to offer. Medicaid is stronger for that sort of robust federal-state cooperation. South Carolina’s requirements — complete with appropriate protections — will lift South Carolinians out of poverty by encouraging as many as possible to participate in the booming Trump economy.”
Waivers are available for those who are primary caregivers for children, are pregnant or are receiving treatment for addiction.
The director of South Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services, Joshua D. Baker, said his department “looks forward to advancing its mission to purchase the most health for our citizens in need at the least possible cost to the taxpayer” and that the program would help promote self-reliance while still helping those in need.
“These waivers reinforce Governor McMaster’s commitment to combating the opioid crisis, building strong and resilient communities and promoting individual self-sustainability. I thank Administrator Verma and her team for the flexibility to implement state-driven solutions for South Carolina’s communities,” Baker said.
It’s been almost a year since the Trump administration announced it had approved pilot plans for Medicaid work requirements in several states.
“The CMS sleigh has made deliveries to Kansas, Rhode Island, Michigan, & Maine this week to drop off signed #Medicaid waivers,” Verma tweeted last December.
“Christmas came early for these Governors & we are proud to support local innovation all across this great country!”
The CMS sleigh has made deliveries to Kansas, Rhode Island, Michigan, & Maine this week to drop off signed #Medicaid waivers. Christmas came early for these Governors & we are proud to support local innovation all across this great country!
— Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) December 21, 2018
Unfortunately, the Christmas present was broken by March as a federal judge appointed under the Obama administration blocked the implementation of the programs.
Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said in his ruling that Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar should have taken into account whether the new rules “would be likely to cause recipients to lose coverage and whether it would cause others to gain coverage.”
“He did neither,” Boasberg’s decision read. “By his own description, the secretary ‘entirely failed to consider’ this question.”
The case might eventually make its way to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, liberals are already getting themselves into a lather over South Carolina’s program.
“South Carolina already has one of the strictest Medicaid programs in the country. Thanks to Trump, new and existing parents stand to lose their health coverage unless they hack their way through arbitrary and slapdash paperwork requirements,” Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said in a statement, echoing concerns from the left that the Medicaid requirements foist additional burdens and paperwork on recipients.
So let’s get this straight: If you don’t have a job, you aren’t a primary caregiver and you’re able-bodied, exactly what’s the issue with filling out paperwork?
You can be prepared for plenty of fire-breathing invective over this one. Which is just fine, as far as I’m concerned.
Dismantle any part of the left’s culture of dependency and this is what you get. If anything, the expansion of the number of families that are eligible under the plan is what I’m worried about. The less people caught in the cycle of government dependency, the better.
South Carolina’s program — if it doesn’t get struck down by the courts, of course — will be good through Nov. 30, 2024. At that point, it will need another extension. Let’s hope it survives that long, of course.
This is just one Christmas present I’m thankful for this year as a conservative.
Another gift I’ll be happy to get? The inevitable rage tweet from AOC.
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