3 days ago
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
What if Medicaid Hadn't Grown in the U.S.?
John Cogan's argument in support of deep cuts to Medicaid comes down to this: Medicaid has grown, largely due to federal support for state programs, and therefore must be cut ('Medicaid Is Overdue for a Big Beautiful Overhaul,' op-ed, June 5). What he fails to entertain is the possibility that the program has grown for good reasons and that states are better because of it.
Mr. Cogan is right that Medicaid has expanded significantly over the past 60 years. States value this coverage because, without it, millions of their low-income residents would be uninsured. When they get sick, they end up with uncompensated care, whose costs fall on the states themselves. Research has shown that without help from the feds, uncompensated care pushes up healthcare costs to paying patients, strains hospital resources and pressures statewide insurance premiums.
