Ozy

By Nick Fouriezos

This summer, the U.S. Senate came one vote shy of passing a Republican health care bill that would have shaved billions from Medicaid — it had the imprimatur of President Trump, who campaigned promising not to cut such programs. If passed, mothers like Mora County treasurer JoJo Olivas say they probably won’t be able to afford basic hospital trips. Such concerns are especially urgent in the Land of Enchantment.

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Washington pols may be short-sighted when they put Medicaid in their crosshairs, suggests Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. “The per-person cost, when you compare apples to apples, is the lowest,” compared to Medicare or private health insurance, she says. The reason for Medicaid’s rising costs is increased enrollment, plus an overall growth in health care bills. To wring out savings, “we need Congress to take action on the real culprit here — like the cost of drugs,” Alker says.

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