Casey’s guest to Trump address is ‘petrified’ of plans to block grant Medicaid

March 01--Joe McGrath is a former Marine battling Parkinson's disease while raising a daughter with Down syndrome and he's "fearful" of Republican plans to turn Medicaid into a block grant program.

"I describe the block grants as the 'Hunger Games' for the vulnerable," said McGrath, a Montgomery County resident, during a conference call with U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, on Tuesday.

McGrath, who was Casey's guest to President Donald Trump's address to the joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, said he was "petrified" to think what might happen when less money is given to states and those in need, such as his 17-year-old daughter Maura, are left to fight over a shrinking pie.

"We're better than that as Americans," McGrath said.

Casey said block granting would devastate the disabled, people trying to get into nursing homes and Medicaid-reliant children in urban and rural areas.

Congressional Republicans have voted over the years to block grant Medicaid, Casey said, but it never happened because former President Barack Obama was against it. That could now change, though, with Trump in the White House, he said.

"This is no longer theory," Casey said, insisting that Republicans need to understand "that these decisions are about real life."

Block granting Medicaid essentially means states would receive a set amount of money instead of the current federal/state program. Casey, however, said governors must have balanced budgets and could look to Medicaid for cost savings if a block-grant program is implemented.

"I'm in the mood of zero compromise on block granting," Casey said. "We're going to stop it."

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