"Medicaid Clean Up, In Aisle 3!" -- Mr. Biden Will Withdraw Federal Support For This Cruel Attempt -- Likely Mooting The Supremes' Overnight Grant Of Cert.

Late on chilly, gray skies Friday afternoon, the Supreme Court granted cert. in a two sentence order, for two cases that would purport to put federal dollars, and more importantly, enforcement efforts into what are called "pilot programs" -- in the states of Arkansas and New Hampshire, which want to require people to seek work -- in order to remain eligible for state level Medicaid. This, in the middle of a pandemic -- expecting that people who are likely already at high risk of getting ill, must go look for jobs that likely don't exist -- in order remain eligible for minimal, indigent level health care services.

This one gets added to the rapidly-expanding list of orders Mr. Biden will rescind in his first 100 days -- since oral argument won't likely be set until Summer 2021, on these two cases. [Of course, my dated legacy graphic at left depicts the opposite tug-of-war, as the ACA of 2010 was rolled out -- into the states, in 2012 through 2016.]

However, at the state/local level, the GOP Arkansas Governor may seek an administrative hearing, by filing a separate complaint -- saying he relied on a promise of future federal dollars from Agent Orange. He will lose, because he will be required to prove that the "work requirement" is saving actual cash dollars, in the health delivery system.

There are literally dozens of broad based studies from data available in Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi, Kansas and Oklahoma among others that demonstrate conclusively that a "work requirement" for people already at high risk of long term chronic health issues. . . actually increases the overall cost of care, with more expensive ER visits, and hospitalizations -- for these same people who get sicker, just from the act of travelling to seek employment.

These studies were part of the effort to pass the Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 -- proving conclusively that getting 39 million Americans some form of health care insurance would save money overall. Mr. Biden is well aware of them, as he helped craft that measure -- and get it passed through the House and Senate in March of 2010.

It is transparently silly that the current holdover occupant of 1600 Penn. thinks his Sharpie^® memos might achieve any lasting policy shifts. But we as a people are committed to undoing all of them.

And that will include undoing the grant of private militia/security contracts, in Somalia (as US troops withdraw under Tangerine orders, just signed) to Erik Prince's companies (departing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' brother -- and the villian of BlackWater, two decades ago -- thus my now highly dated graphic, at right). . . all as a parting gift as this mal-administration is walked out of the nation's capital.

Each of these last minute graft moves. . . will all be undone, by Mr. Biden (since each comes only by purported Executive Order, alone) -- but it is an extremely irresponsible form of scorched Earth these life-long, but wholly-inept, crooks. . . now undertake.

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