End Run Around Health Care Subsidies-Lowering the FPL. The hits just keep on coming!

[laughingliberal]

By DANIEL BARLOW Vermont Press Bureau - Published: December 15, 2009

MONTPELIER – The federal government's poverty level guidelines will drop in 2010 for possibly the first time ever, changing the qualifications for a host of programs ranging from state-subsidized health insurance to food stamps.

The reduction in what the federal government considers poverty could result in Vermonters either losing benefits they now receive or seeing a decrease in their subsidies depending on their annual household income.

For example, for a single person to qualify for a state or federal program that covers up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level they would need to make less than $906 a month. Starting next year, that benchmark changes to $899 a month for a single person.

Seven dollars may not seem like a dramatic shift, but the gap increases for larger families, according to Peter Sterling, the executive director of the organization Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/BT/20091215/NEWS01/912150361/0/NEWS02

Since the expansion of Medicaid and the qualifications for subsidies are tied to the Federal Poverty Level, this will knock a few people out of assistance Don't believe it's enough of a change to matter much? I've had patients turned down for Medicaid for making $2 per month too much money. Un-fucking-believable!!!

[villager]

1. Change you can believe in!

n/t

[laughingliberal]

3. self delet nt

[ZombieHorde]

2. Who is in charge of the federal government's poverty level guidelines?

Does President Obama have any control over this? Has he made a statement?

[laughingliberal]

4. It's tied to the Consumer Price Index

Officials in Vermont ran the numbers which will not be officially released until the end of January. They would go into effect 1 month later. Apparently, Congress has the ability to block the adjustment. Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy have said there is discussion of freezing the FPL at the 2009 level. Jesus! It's already horribly unrealistic and with health care subsidies now being tied to it, it's going to become extremely important.

[ZombieHorde]

5. Thanks for the answer, hopefully Congress will do the right thing. nt

[laughingliberal]

6. We can hope. nt

[angstlessk]

7. so, basically, if the VALUE of your home goes down, but not your mortgage

it negatively effects the consumer price index, though your taxes are the same or more and you pay more for life sustaining stuff like FOOD AND FUEL, not included in the price index? You are therefore considered richer?

[LooseWilly]

8. Brilliant!!

[laughingliberal]

9. Pretty much, yeah. nt