Our congressional representative, Cliff Bentz, responds to comments on his website about Medicaid with a form letter that says,
“Let me be absolutely clear: I believe in protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. These programs represent a commitment to our seniors, our most vulnerable populations, and to working Americans who have paid into these systems for decades. I have no intention of supporting any legislation that would dismantle or jeopardize the benefits we Americans have every right to rely on.
Unfortunately, some in Washington and in the media have engaged in spreading misleading claims that Republicans are seeking to “gut” these essential programs. These accusations are not only false, but they are designed to scare which is reprehensible.”
Imagine my lack of surprise when I read in the New York Times that Cliff supports the Republican proposal for a work requirement for Medicaid:
“We don’t want people to be on this program for forever,” Representative Cliff Bentz, Republican of Oregon, said on Wednesday morning. “And this is a really good way to get off it and get a job.”
The work requirement program proposed by Republicans is based on a statewide program in Georgia that was shown to result in high administrative costs, low enrollment, and healthcare coverage losses. With approximately 24% of his constituents currently enrolled in Medicaid, you might think Cliff would be less likely to take a position on the program that would likely make it more expensive to administer while simultaneously cutting coverage for current recipients.