Health disparities

“Last fall, South Dakota voters approved a ballot measure that will allow lawmakers to impose a work requirement for Medicaid recipients. Now some lawmakers want the flexibility to abolish parts of the health insurance program if the feds cut spending for it.

“As my colleague Edwin Park has explained, capping federal Medicaid payments to states will likely be a key objective for the incoming administration. To lay the groundwork for this radical cost shift, the administration and its allies can be expected to argue that the Medicaid program is riddled with fraud. A leading proponent is Brian Blase, head of the Paragon Health Institute, who is not a fan of Medicaid.

“House Republicans are passing around a “menu” of more than $5 trillion in cuts they could use to bankroll President-elect Donald Trump’s top priorities this year, including tax cuts and border security.