The LuLac Edition #5, 336, May 27th, 2025

 

PAY ROB A VISIT

BRESNAHAN’S LIES

When elected, we all gave new Congressman Rob Bresnehan the benefit of the doubt. He said he would protect the 8^th district citizens from Medicaid cuts. He told PA Homepage the reason he voted yes was because of the following reasons regarding Medicaid

Waste While some states run more efficient Medicaid programs than others,  all states could undoubtedly make their programs more efficient. But here’s the thing.

There is no state that will be able to absorb a 27 percent cut in federal Medicaid matching payments over the next ten years by reducing waste, fraud, and abuse.  It’s not even close.

Plus, if there   is any PROOF that there is waste in Pennsylvania or the 8^th district: PROVE IT.

Fraud: Medicaid fraud in Pennsylvania is prosecuted by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Section. The section targets those who defraud the Pennsylvania Medical Assistance (Medicaid) program through unlawful billing or failure to provide services to eligible recipients1. Recent arrests and convictions have resulted in over $800,000 in Medicaid fraud2. These fraudulent practices divert funds away from providing care to those in truly in need. We as a state are coming AFTER the people who are working the system. Bresnehan made no mention of that but seems okay with a party that has a President whose family dabbles in Bitcoin and is robbing the country blind.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: Undocumented immigrants in Pennsylvania may be eligible for free or low-cost healthcare through the state’s Medicaid program. However, many restrictions and eligibility requirements are in place. To be considered for this program, immigrants must meet certain residency requirements, income thresholds, and other eligibility standards. Alternatively, undocumented immigrants may also be able to access some services from community health centers and clinics that provide free or low-cost care.

Bresnehan couches this along with Insurrectionist collaborator Scott Perry as something he just decided on in the waning minutes of when a vote was decided. Here’s the thing about that: you can change your mind but you better have a more decent explanation that the top 3 he cited.

Bottom line: we gave him a chance and he broke his word. Period

 

HOUSE PEGS

MEDICAID BENEFICIARIES AS LOSERS

BUT THE SENATE MAY SAVE THE DAY

Trump was adamant that Republicans should not touch Medicaid benefits, but focus instead on “waste, fraud and abuse” under the low-income health care program.

Conservative hardliners, however, weren’t convinced. And much of the last-minute wrangling centered around their demands to expedite the timeline for implementing new Medicaid eligibility restrictions.

Those proposed changes, including new proof-of-employment requirements for certain adult beneficiaries, are estimated to cause more than 7 million people to become uninsured over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Democrats have pounced on the projections, accusing Republicans of slashing health care benefits for the poorest Americans in order to underwrite tax cuts for the wealthiest.

It’s unclear if the Medicaid cuts will survive in the Senate, where a handful of GOP senators — including conservative Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)  have warned that they’ll oppose any package that cuts health benefits under the program.

Scaling back the Medicaid cuts, however, would complicate passage when the bill returns to the House, where conservatives are already warning that they won’t swallow an erosion of their hard-fought, deficit-cutting victories.

“They’ve got a lot they still need to do to make it better, and they can’t unwind what we achieved,” Roy said. “Those are going to be red lines. If the SALT guys think they’ve got red lines, just wait until you see what’s coming out of this.”

THEY’RE COMING FOR

MEDICARE TOO

 

As the fight over the Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act unfolded, much of the focus turned to Medicaid, and for good reason. Despite Donald Trump’s promise not to cut the health care program, the GOP legislation would cut roughly $700 billion from Medicaid in the coming years, and with just hours remaining before the bill reached the floor, party leaders added new and punitive Medicaid provisions to shore up support from far-right members.

But as important as the future of Medicaid is, the legislation’s impact on Medicare matters, too.  If people were to dig into the 1,000-page bill to look for the provisions related to Medicare cuts, they won’t find them. But there’s a difference between the literal text of the legislation and the practical effects of the legislation.

In fact, as The Washington Post reported, the Congressional Budget Office found that the Republicans’ megabill would add so many trillions of dollars to the national debt, “it could force nearly $500 billion in cuts to Medicare” — with some cuts taking effect as early as next year. As the Post noted, the higher deficits would force budget officials “to mandate across-the-board spending cuts over that window that would hit the federal health insurance program for seniors and people with disabilities.”

Referencing Congress’ Pay-As-You-Go (“PAYGO”) Act, Representative Bendon Boyle said in a written statement, “This Republican budget bill is one of the most expensive — and dangerous — bills Congress has seen in decades. The nonpartisan CBO makes it clear: The deficit will explode so badly it will trigger automatic cuts, including over half a trillion dollars from Medicare.”

The Pennsylvania Democrat added, “This is what Republicans do — pay for massive tax breaks for billionaires by going after programs families rely on the most: Medicaid, food assistance, and now Medicare. It’s reckless, dishonest, and deeply harmful to the middle class.”

Boyle is RIGHT! THIS IS WHAT THEY DO.(LuLac, AP)