How Big Is Government Dependency Going to Get?

Exclusive: Medicaid for the Middle Class?

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON, June 21, 2011 – President Barack Obama's health care law would let several million middle-class people get nearly free insurance meant for the poor, a twist government number crunchers say they discovered only after the complex bill was signed.

The change would affect early retirees: A married couple could have an annual income of about $64,000 and still get Medicaid, said officials who make long-range cost estimates for the Health and Human Services department.

After initially downplaying any concern, the Obama administration said late Tuesday it would look for a fix.

Up to 3 million more people could qualify for Medicaid in 2014 as a result of the anomaly. That's because, in a major change from today, most of their Social Security benefits would no longer be counted as income for determining eligibility. It might be compared to allowing middle-class people to qualify for food stamps.


How big is Medicaid going to Get? That is the question that concerns us all.

Medicaid now covers 58 million Americans, The PPACA promises to cover 34 million more by 2014.

Now we learn, through a glitch in the law, 3 million more will be added, bringing us to a grand total of 95 million Medicaid recipients by 2014.

Which leads to this doggerel verse.

When Will It Ever End?

When will it ever end?
Those upon whom government depend?

At last count, Medicare now covers 46,589,141 million,
By 2014, 50 million will inhabit the Medicare pavilion.

In other words, in 3 years, 145 billion, about half of us,
Will rely on the federal government for care, more or less.

How much will government and taxpayers be willing to spend?
Or will government be able to downward the cost curve bend?>