A maze called Medicaid

“A Maze Called Medicaid” is the title of our upcoming Geezer Forum next Tuesday, 2:30-4:00 in the Community Room of Columbia Bank. But this maze is real, not simply a semi-clever title.

I have sometimes worked with folks on either applying for Medicaid or understanding Medicaid for over twenty years. And this program still seems like a maze to me. I know the paperwork can be so difficult for persons who apply for Medicaid.

Then there is the social stigma of Medicaid. I have spoken with so many people who tried nearly everything to financially stave off the need to apply for Medicaid. I have watched elders cry when it came time to apply. It seemed like a personal failure.

But it isn’t. What Medicaid was designed to be — in spite of how people have negatively stereotyped it — is a support system for people whose economic abilities have been compromised for any number of reasons. Those reasons may be embarrassing. But those reasons do not have to damage the dignity of Medicaid recipients.

Next Tuesday’s Geezer Forum will not focus on the social stereotypes around Medicaid; rather, our guest speakers will focus on the needs that Medicaid.

I also contacted State Senator Shawn Keough to ask if she anticipates the ID Legislature will address any Medicaid-issues in 2018. She indicated that just last Wednesday, Oct. 11, JFAC (the joint finance committee) received a proposal from Gov. Otter’s health care advisory panel .

This proposal was reported on in a Sept. 14 article in the Spokesman-Review called “State Officials Pitch New Health Plan Aimed at Gap Coverage, Lowering Premiums.” The panel recommended the Legislature apply for two federal waivers that would change how the state’s “working poor” can qualify for health insurance subsidies or Medicaid.

“Wai-ver No. 1 would allow working adults to buy subsidized insurance on the state’s health care exchange. Waiver # 2 would allow the state’s sickest adults, like those with stage-4 cancer, to get insurance from Medicaid instead of the exchange. Doing so would provide medical coverage to an estimated 35,000 Idahoans and cut premiums by up to 20 percent.” (from AP newspaper article, Sept. 14, 2017, Spokesman-Review)

A day or two after JFAC received this proposal, President Trump’s executive order on health care seems to put these very waivers in jeopardy. But as I write this column, Senator Keough isn’t yet sure what the impact will be.

A word to the wise: our Forum is not meant to be a political discussion of Medicaid. Rather, we will gather to gain information on Medicaid, who is and isn’t eligible for Medicaid, and some clues on how to walk through the maze called Medicaid.

You may be a Medicaid recipient currently, or you may think you might need Medicaid in the future. You may also know some friend or family member who could benefit from this information about Medicaid. I encourage you join us on Tuesday, October 24, 2:30-4 p.m. in the Community Room of Columbia Bank. We’ll all benefit from being there.

Paul Graves, M.Div., is Lead Geezer-in-Training for Elder Advocates, a consulting ministry on aging issues. Contact Paul at 208-610-4971 or elderadvocates@nctv.com.