The media is often guilty of spreading falsehoods and manipulation, especially when it comes to reporting on red states and Medicaid. They paint a false narrative that only helpless families are being affected when, in reality, red states are simply cleaning up a broken system that was intentionally sabotaged by Washington, DC during the pandemic. These red states are prioritizing taxpayers and the truly needy by removing ineligible recipients who make too much money and don’t require assistance.
At the beginning of this year, taxpayers were spending a shocking $16 billion a month on Medicaid for ineligible recipients, while those who genuinely needed the program struggled to access care. Red states are taking the necessary steps to right-size Medicaid and ensure that resources are allocated properly. However, the media portrays this as heartless and harmful to the less fortunate. They highlight rare exceptions and present them as the norm, ignoring the millions of ineligible recipients who have been rightfully removed.
An example of this biased reporting is a widely shared Washington Post column that accuses Arkansas of heartlessly taking away Medicaid from a mother and her baby. Arkansas is actually leading the way in making Medicaid more sustainable. The state had an estimated 422,000 potentially ineligible people on Medicaid at the beginning of the year and has already removed over 300,000 since then.
Unlike blue states like Michigan, which have only removed a meager 23,000 ineligible recipients, red states are taking bold action to prioritize taxpayer funds and ensure that those who truly need assistance receive it. In the last five months, red states have unenrolled over 5.4 million ineligible Medicaid recipients. Yet, the media focuses on sob stories and ignores the real issues at hand.
As someone with a special-needs child who depends on Medicaid, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges caused by the influx of ineligible recipients. It has become increasingly difficult for my child to get appointments and medications, as there is a limited number of doctors who accept Medicaid and are overwhelmed by the demand. This is why red states are committed to fixing Medicaid, as millions of people who genuinely rely on the program are being pushed back in line by those who shouldn’t be there in the first place. But the media chooses not to tell these stories because it doesn’t align with their agenda of “welfare for all.”
Even the stories that the media does report are flawed. If a legitimate mistake occurs, where someone is accidentally removed from Medicaid, it can be rectified by contacting the proper state agency. These agencies will work diligently to reinstate the individual in a matter of days. They care deeply about those who depend on Medicaid and are committed to doing the right thing.
We should be grateful for governors like Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who is standing up for individuals like my son and for taxpayers. It is the duty of state officials to fight to remove ineligible people from the program and protect the interests of the truly vulnerable. When the media accuses them of being heartless, we must recognize it as a blatant lie. Red states are doing what is necessary to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of Medicaid, and they deserve our support and appreciation.
Nick Stehle is the vice president of communications at the Foundation for Government Accountability.
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