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Rauner says he’s for Medicaid work requirement, but won’t make it a priority

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Illinois

* Pritzker campaign…

Hi there–

Bruce Rauner announced this month that he is in favor of imposing work requirements for Medicaid eligibility. His decision comes after the Trump administration released new guidelines supporting these work requirements, in yet another display of Rauner standing with Donald Trump instead of working families in Illinois.

Tell Bruce Rauner that these requirements are bad for Illinois.

Imposing these work requirements hurts the people of our state. The requirements could cause thousands of Illinoisans to lose their health insurance, decreasing their chances of ever becoming healthy enough to work. In addition, a great deal of time and resources would be needed to check every recipient’s eligibility. This would result in high administrative costs that would inevitably be passed on to taxpayers.

We need a governor who fights to make sure all Illinoisans have access to quality healthcare. Rather than try to kick people off Medicaid, my healthcare plan, IllinoisCares, is a public option allowing anyone to buy into a state healthcare plan.This would give Illinoisans a lower-cost option when faced with rising premiums, at no additional cost to taxpayers.

Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. The leader of this state should understand that, and work hard to ensure that all Illinoisans are covered. Instead, Bruce Rauner is cowering to Donald Trump and supporting policies that could result in thousands losing their healthcare.

Help put an end to Rauner’s harmful policies by calling and making your voice heard.

Thanks for your help—
JB

* But it’s not that simple…

“I do support a work requirement for able-bodied adults in Medicaid and our administration is working on that,” Rauner said at a news conference after speaking to small business owners at Bradley University’s Peoria Next Innovation Center. […]

In Illinois, though, Rauner said “our first challenge is to make sure we’ve got jobs — good jobs — available for everyone.

“We don’t have jobs available for everyone and that’s got to be our priority, because trying to force people to work but if there’s no work opportunity, that’s not going to succeed,” he added.

Asked if he would push for a work requirement during the upcoming legislative session, Rauner, who is seeking re-election in the fall, reiterated a laundry list of other items he said he would prioritize first: reforming regulatory burdens, dropping the income tax rate and giving local governments more control over addressing property tax burdens.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:49 pm

Comments

Data stated that most of these adults are working, so what’s the big deal?

Disabled have disability insurance…. If you’re not working and not disabled… What are you doing then?

Comment by Politically incorrect Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 2:55 pm
Honestly we don’t have enough DHS caseworkers to meet our Federal requirements now. The only reason why we haven’t gotten totally fined by the Feds for being so behind with determining and maintaining benefits after our disastrous system conversion is because the Trump administration has let Agriculture and HHS go to pot. They in just as bad of shape as we are.
Bannonism- the destruction of the administrative state, even by abandonment and distinction has consequences.
Rauner still longs for Labor War
The last thing he wants to do is add more qualified state workers.
He’ll let the idea go by just agreeing but not doing anything.
Work Requirement is for states with
Adequate workforces.
We aspire to skeleton crew
Smallest state workforce per capita 2015
Down 34% 2018

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:03 pm
Abandonment and dysfunction
Sorry

Oh and isn’t odd that when you go to Accountability.illinois.gov you can’t see the number of employees in an agency.
Hiding our decimation if you asked me.

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:06 pm
What’s wrong with making sure able bodied citizens who are able to work are actually working and not just cheating the system and dragging down the system

Comment by Name Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:10 pm
Luckily, Rauner isn’t in charge. It really doesn’t matter what he thinks or prioritizes.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:13 pm
Hey Name - you want to explain who’s “cheating” the system when, as Honeybear pointed out, most people on Medicaid are working? (Actually when employers like Wal-Mart, who have employees who qualify for public aid, is a lot closer to my idea of “cheating” the system)

Comment by Galena Guy Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:17 pm
So there is no waste or fraud
Hmm hmm
Sure

Comment by Name Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:21 pm
I’m just asking what is wrong with having some checks and balances.

Comment by Name Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:23 pm
If not work then how about job training and job placement
Yes I know you hat costs money but better than tax subsidies for corporations

Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:33 pm
How does a mandatory 5-year freeze amount to “giving local governments more control over addressing property tax burdens”?

Comment by Dance Band on the Titanic Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:38 pm
When giving massive tax cuts to wealthy corporations and individuals—for nothing—no, I do not support Medicaid work requirements.

I do not support turning the poor upside down, holding them by the ankles and shaking every public penny out of their pockets while Congresspeople are paid handsomely and gets great healthcare while performing poorly (also see approval ratings).

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:42 pm
Is this not about the same line he gave about social agenda issues? Ask the Bishop how that turned out.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:42 pm
Said the man who, four years ago, had no interest in taking on unions.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 3:46 pm
Explains Rauner’s stance on managed care: he doesn’t care what happens to people on Medicaid.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 4:10 pm
The requirements are to work, TRAIN, or VOLUNTEER. Everyone can volunteer.

There are 78,287 open jobs on the IDES joblnk website right now.

There is no reason to slow-walk these reforms.

Comment by Come on Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 4:12 pm
First, yes, work is good. Second, there are many folks who are working full time yet the wages are so low that they still qualify for Food Stamps and Medicaid. They’re not cheating the system, their employers are! Third, there are lots of folks who have physical and/or mental disabilities that seriously impact their ability to work yet do not have the recent, comprehensive medical records that are necessary to meet the very strict definition of disability. Fourth, of those who are not earning money, many are caring for family members who are elderly, disabled or children. IF low wage jobs actually offered affordable health insurance, there would be justification for such a requirement. As is, imposing a work requirement for Medicaid would just create a new group of uninsured people and more bad debt for hospitals.

Comment by Depressed in DuPage Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 4:13 pm
If there are no jobs to offer Medicaid clients, why did Rauner encourage making IL a sanctuary state encouraging more illegals to come to IL. This creates a vicious cycle of gov dependence.

Comment by LoisLearned2much Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 5:43 pm
Given the great confusion in D.C. about who uses what words, as we sure Rauner didn’t say he was in favor of “workhouses for those on Medicaid”. Lots of confusion with words ending in xxxxhouse this week.

Plus it fits better with his policies.

Comment by peon Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 9:36 pm
==What’s wrong with making sure able bodied citizens who are able to work are actually working==

Some of that depends on being to find work. And no, not everyone can flip burgers. I have many health issues that preclude a lot of the lower pay jobs, could probably be on disability of I really wanted to go through the hassle, but I feel I am capable of doing clerical work I have been doing for the last 25 years. But I can’t be on my feet all day due to arthritis and back issues, and I can’t really do food service due to my asthma and chronic bronchitis and sinus infections. (Nobody wants to hear the person making their food coughing up a lung.) I was unemployed for long stretches of time and would not have been able to support myself and my St Jude, brain cancer surviving, special needs daughter without assistance during those times. Heck, I went to work the same day my Dad passed away because that’s the work ethic I was raised with. Making working a requirement would have ended up with me losing my child and being homeless a long time ago. BTW I’m now one of those state workers everyone thinks is overpaid at 35k a year and have been since 2013. And I work my tail off despite all my issues. If it weren’t for the assistance I was able to get while unemployed I wouldn’t now be a homeowner and productive member of society.

Comment by HangingOn Tuesday, Jan 16, 18 @ 11:34 pm
Are those 78,287 jobs at the IDES job bank entry level jobs open to anyone?

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 6:27 am