Governor LePage Medicaid Request Rejected by the Obama Administration

Governor LePage requested thousands of people to be dropped from Medicaid but the Obama administration rejected that request.

LePage hoped to save $20 million from the cuts, by leaving 15,000 people without health insurance. The governor wanted to end coverage for nearly 6,000 young adults between the ages of 19 and 20.

Marilyn Tavenner, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, sent a letter to LePage in which she cited the current health law that requires states to maintain Medicaid eligibility levels.

Under the federal Medicaid guidelines a family of four earning $20,050 qualify for health benefits. However, the Obama administration approved a separate plan to end Medicaid coverage for families who are 133 percent above the poverty line. Families who earn $30,000 or more now won’t be eligible for benefits.

Do you think that’s fair?