January 24, 2012 01:51 AM UTC

Shawn Mitchell Giveth, And Taketh Away

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• by: Colorado Pols

Folks, take a moment to read over Senate Bill 12-085, “Concerning Reductions in General Fund Expenditures,” as introduced by Sen. Shawn Mitchell last week. Pretty straightforward stuff, really, though we imagine Sen. Mitchell would prefer a longer explanation–SB12-085 is about throwing kids and poor people off insurance rolls.

Returns eligibility and services in medicaid and the children’s basic health plan to the 2006 level by:

Repealing eligibility for certain qualified aliens and their children, certain children in foster care, persons in the medicaid buy-in program, and childless adults;

Lowering the income level for parents of children eligible for medicaid from 100% to 60% of the federal poverty line;

Eliminating 12 months of continuous eligibility for children;

Replacing advanced practice nurses services with nurse-midwife services…

Eliminating presumptive eligibility for children and certain persons eligible for long-term care; [Pols emphasis] and

Lowering the income level for eligibility  under the children’s basic health plan from 250% to 205% of the federal poverty line.

We know that a lot of people, quite possibly a majority of any given cross-section of Coloradans, will blanch at the idea of tossing poor kids and invalids off of their coverage. But this is the kind of “tough love” that Republicans in both chambers are proposing. “Sorry, kids, but those rascally Democrats made promises we fiscally responsible Republicans just can’t keep.”

The problem is, with at least one of those provisions above–eliminating “presumptive eligibility” for kids and others who need long-term care (bolded)–it’s not just spendthrift Democrats to blame for dangling expensive promises of health care in front of needy patients, which Shawn Mitchell and his fellow Republicans must now do the responsible thing and eliminate.

In 2009, not even three years ago, Sen. Mitchell voted for presumptive eligibility.

It’s important to remember, and for Democrats to never let it be understated: every time a legislator talks about “cost-cutting” Medicaid, they are proposing throwing people–kids, poor families–off of their health coverage. It’s not some dry, sterile procedure where money simply moves (or doesn’t move) from a bank account. There are human consequences.

In this one provision among many such cuts in Mitchell’s bill, “presumptive eligibility” refers to providing long-term care coverage immediately for certain patients instead of the up to 90-day wait for normal Medicaid approval. If a patient is denied after this process, which involves a full declaration of assets, the state still keeps federal funds to cover providers, and either way a critical benefit is achieved by not making people in great need of care wait. Studies have shown in other states that Medicaid actually saves money when care can be administered sooner, before the patient’s condition further deteriorates. Presumptive eligibility for long-term care also prevents unnecessary hospital stays awaiting approval, and allows for better treatment options.

We assume Sen. Mitchell knew this when he voted for something in 2009 he now wants to take away–and knows it today, while sponsoring a bill to show the world how irresponsible Democrats are by eliminating a program he and many of his Republican colleagues supported.

At the very least, it makes you really value legislative sessions not followed by elections.