Re:We’re Measuring the Economy All Wrong
by darpa_escapee on Friday September 14, 2018 @03:15PM
(#17990030)
The Medicaid enrollment numbers are a bigger reflection of how little people are being compensated: in states that adopted Medicaid expansion under the ACA, only those making a certain percentage of the federal poverty level are eligible for the program.
In states that adopted Medicaid expansion, that usually means 100% to roughly 138% of the FPL. The FPL for a single individual in the 48 contiguous states + DC is $12,140.
Workers whose income is above the FPL cannot default to Medicaid, even if they cannot afford to buy insurance.
Re:We’re Measuring the Economy All Wrong
by dragonwriter on Friday September 14, 2018 @03:02PM
(#17989914)
> In the US, you "should" be able to afford heathcare, that's what is planned for.
No, it's not. Medicaid (both the original design and the ACA expansion) is exactly a recognition that everyone being able to afford healthcare is simply unrealistic.
What I'm saying is people are not able to afford healthcare and defaulting to Medicaid at a high rate. I think this is an interesting measurement of people who are falling outside of the planned economy. In the US, you "should" be able to afford heathcare, that's what is planned for. But, now we have almost 20% of citizens relying on Medicaid.