Medicaid drug testing

Last month, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin announced his intention to appeal to the Trump administration to allow his state to drug-test childless, able-bodied adults who apply for Medicaid.

In Wisconsin, these individuals make up roughly 12% of those who receive Medicaid.

All these members would be screened for drug use, and would be required to submit to a drug test if suspected of using illegal substances. Those who refuse to be tested would be denied Medicaid benefits for six months, while those who test positive would have to complete a substance abuse treatment program—paid for by the state—before they received full benefits.

Walker’s plan also included a number of other changes, including:

• Requiring some Medicaid enrollees to pay premiums ranging from $1 to $10 per month;
• Offering premium discounts for healthy behaviors, such as maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking;
• Limiting Medicaid coverage to a total of 48 months for able-bodied adults under the age of 49. Months spent working or participating in job training wouldn’t count toward the limit.

The changes are currently working their way through the Wisconsin legislature, but would have to get federal approval before they could be implemented. The Obama administration turned down Wisconsin’s previous request to put the drug-testing policy in place, but some pundits speculate that the reaction from Trump officials could be different.

There is currently no move to implement a similar policy in New Hampshire, though pundits suggested that if Wisconsin was successful, other states would likely follow suit.

Though this would be the first time Medicaid was made contingent on passing a drug test, supporters of the move point to similar policies in other states, where testing is required before childless adults can get benefits like food stamps or welfare.

"We believe public assistance should be a trampoline, not a hammock … We are asking able-bodied adults without children, who are on government assistance, to pass a drug test and enroll in job training. If they fail the test, we'll help them get healthy so they can get the job skills they need to get back in the game," Walker said in a statement.

Opponents argue that the move would make it harder for the people who most need health coverage to receive it, leaving them vulnerable. Others point out that drug users could simply sober up for the days around the test and that addicts don’t generally respond well to forced treatment. They argue that both policies are therefore ineffective and a waste of state dollars.

Do you think NH should drug test Medicaid recipients? Why or why not? Leave a comment and have your say.