Just about everything HHS does is socialism, welcome to the real world.
As an old, retired conservative, I can tell you I hate the idea of both Social Security and Medicare. BUT, having had my money taken from me all my life for SS and Medicare, I expect the government to keep up its end of the deal it forced on me and pay for my medicare and SS now that I am retired. Especially since my ability to save up and pay for my own retirement and medical care was sapped by the taxes I paid that were spent on other people.
Having caught this particular bear by the tail, is is very difficult to let go and end these programs without seriously harming those who have paid in all their lives.
I know for sure, rental assistance is much cheaper than hospital says, nursing homes or assisted living.
I’m on social security and Medicare, too, but at least we paid in. Of course, the horse is already out of the barn, but a lot of the older Medicaid people have been on welfare most of their lives, except those who paid into ss, but still don’t make enough to live on. And, yes, nursing homes are expensive, but nursing home patients are rarely suitable for living without that level of assistance. Most people are not in nursing homes if they can take care of themselves. I was a home health nurse, and Medicare pays for in home nursing care, and assistance with bathing, but it must be intermittent care, just a few hours a week. And medicaid pays for the same, for people not on ss, or with very !ow income, plus household help. I had patients who worked most of their life, but it was very low paying jobs, and unless they own their home and can afford food, utilities, and their medicine, the $700 a month they get, won’t reach very far. I don’t mind people in that boat getting some assistance, but I am so done with paying for welfare recipients who could have, but never did work a day in their life. But, of course, by the time they’re old and infirm, that horse left the barn a long time ago. Too bad socialist countries aren’t willing to take welfare recipients off our hands, but they only accept immigrants with good jobs or really healthy retirement income, unlike we, who let people in who have little or no ability to provide for themselves. (Fuming now; better quit grousing and clean my house.) There, but for the grace of God...