Re: “WA homeless patients have a lot to lose under Trump’s Medicaid changes” (Aug. 11, Project Homeless):
Thank you for covering the damage caused by Medicaid work requirements. At Neighborcare, we have three clinic programs in Seattle dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness find stable housing and jobs. We do everything we can to get people the care they need by co-locating health services in shelters and using outreach teams to bring care to people in shelters and permanent supportive housing settings. We do this because people need health care to find employment and shelter. Health care is an onramp to stability and most of our patients rely on Medicaid to improve their lives.
Unfortunately, the recently passed Medicaid work requirements and cumbersome recertification process will make our patients lose care. Forcing people who are living on the street without access to the internet to upload proof of employment every month puts them in an impossible position. Work requirements make people spend time filling out paperwork instead of finding housing or jobs. Making people recertify their eligibility every six months also means that people are more likely to lose care midway through treatment — a disruption that often makes health issues worse.
The spending and tax bill will put stability out of reach for thousands of our neighbors.
Andrew Nee, homeless programs manager, Neighborcare
