WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito said during an appearance Tuesday on MetroNews “Talkline” that she was asked by someone in recent days why Congress hasn’t approved significant changes in the safety net programs of Medicaid and SNAP before now.
“You see how hard it is to do,” Capito said she told the person. “You can see the controversy any time you try to look at these programs and make them run more efficiently…it makes it very, very difficult and we’re seeing that now.”
The changes included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is now the law the land, are aimed at tightening up the programs for the people that deserve it, Capito said.
“We want to make sure (those who deserve it) are served by these programs,” Capito said.
She talked about preservation Tuesday.
“Medicaid is going to grow by $200 billion over the next 10 years, it’s not stopping growing. It was slated to grow (without the new law) a trillion dollars over the next 10 years,” she said. “We’re going to try to bend that curve (of growth).”
Capito said it will take a few years. The state will work with CMS on the Medicaid changes, including work requirements for some, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the changes for SNAP.
“It’s not just get rid of waste, fraud and abuse but trying to do a smarter more efficient way to do this to make sure the people that deserve these benefits get them and that’s important for the long term,” Capito said.
West Virginians for Affordable Health Care Executive Director Ellen Allen wondered aloud during an appearance Tuesday on MetroNews Midday if the programs are in such bad shape why wait two years to make the changes.
“If it was so great why didn’t we do that early on? If there was waste, abuse and fraud let’s get right on that,” Allen said. “This is about paying for tax cuts for the wealthiest of Ameircans and paying for it with our health care.”
Allen plans to go to all 55 counties to the next year let residents know how the their health care will be impacted by the cuts. She said the changes will have an impact on those who have commercial insurance too.
“We all share the same health care economy. There’s no escaping this. None of us are going to escape this. It’s going to have different impacts on some of us,” Allen said.
Capito said some of the reactions she’s heard are exaggerated.
“I read these stories that say less people are going to be fed and people are going to be kicked off their insurance–really the only people who are going to be kicked off are the ones that shouldn’t be on there in the first place,” Capito said.
Capito said there are people that are on Medicaid that are also on a premium support program through Obamacare.
“So we’re double paying here and that’s to the tune of $10 billion.”
SNAP
Capito said West Virginia can avoid any major changes to the SNAP program by further reducing its SNAP error rate.
Last year West Virginia reduced its error rate from 11 to 9. That means that for every $100 that goes out in SNAP benefits $9 goes out in error. Capito said if West Virginia can get that rate down to $6 then SNAP won’t change. She said there would be an $8 million administrative fee to pay.-