- Republicans Say Medicaid Is 'Broken.' Here's How The People It Covers Feel. The Washington Post by Carolyn Y. Johnson—Politicians call the Medicaid program that provides health care for the poor "broken." Academic studies have reported on its limited health benefits or the longer appointment wait times that people with Medicaid face. But as Republicans feverishly work to revise a health-care bill that would trigger deep cuts to the program over time, a massive new survey reveals that people enrolled in Medicaid rate their health care pretty high. On a scale of 0 ("the worst health care possible") to 10 ("the best health care possible"), more than 270,000 people covered by Medicaid in 46 states rated their health care at an average of 7.9, according to an analysis in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. That's just slightly worse than how Medicare enrollees rated their health care—and not far behind how privately insured patients feel about their coverage.
- Crippling Medicaid Cuts Could Upend Rural Health Services Kaiser Health News by Virginia Anderson—Republican bills to replace the federal health law would worsen rural areas' financial straits through reductions in Medicaid funding. Patient advocates predict these changes would lead to fewer enrollees, more shutdowns of rural facilities, reduced payments to doctors, and fewer programs for people with health needs or disabilities. In the aggregate, such changes threaten the health of thousands of state residents, especially those in rural areas. "I've seen changes, and I've seen cuts, but I've never seen changes like what's being proposed in this bill," said Eric Jacobson, executive director of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities. "This is the first time it's been this scary."