Arkansas has an auditing program similar to the one we’ve talked about, and it appears the state just turned up a lot of ineligible beneficiaries.

Nearly one-third of those cases involved people who did not report changes of address as required by the state. More than 25,000 people were removed from the program because they were receiving public benefits from more than one state. [Emphasis mine]

DHS says more than 16,000 people were removed because of unreported employment. Others were removed from the program because they were eligible for Medicare, while another 4,100 cases involved inmates who still had Medicaid coverage.

In all, about 80,000 Arkansans ineligible for Medicaid were removed from the program’s rolls. 

As we’ve noted before, there are lots of non-nefarious reasons that someone may be on Medicaid but ineligible for it, including unfamiliarity with its rules and regular fluctuations in their own income. But whatever the reason for that ineligibility, the more efficiently the state can steward funds and direct them to needy beneficiaries who actually qualify for the program, the better the results will be for the program, its beneficiaries, and the taxpayers who fund those benefits.

The post In Arkansas, 80,000 Ineligible Medicaid Recipients Removed from Rolls appeared first on Show-Me Institute.

Snyder’s story is getting a lot of attention in the national media. “The Today Show” and Fox News have both reported on it.

By requiring licenses, the government is telling individuals that it knows better than they do. It’s paternalism in another form. The parents in Snyder’s neighborhood know her very well, so they are in a much better position to determine whether her home is a safe environment for their children.

Furthermore, having a daycare license does not ensure that a person is fit to supervise children. Earlier this year, for example, a woman running a licensed daycare in Arkansas accidentally placed windshield wiper fluid in her refrigerator and later served it to children! As a parent, I would much rather leave my kids under the supervision of a person like Lisa Snyder than a person who can’t tell the difference between wiper fluid and Gatorade. The Department of Human Services would feel differently, apparently.

Daycare licensure requirements do not result in better outcomes (e.g., fewer ER visits), nor do they improve the general welfare. In this case, all the involved parties (i.e., Snyder, parents, and children) are happy with their current arrangement. If the DHS gets its way, the parents will either have to stay home from work or pay a licensed daycare provider to watch their children.

Professional licensing has many negative consequences, which contributors to this blog have discussed extensively. The Show-Me Institute has produced scholarly work on this subject, as well.

The post No Good Deed Goes Unpunished in Michigan, the Literal Nanny State appeared first on Show-Me Institute.

In Northwest Missouri, 15 counties have joined together to create a regional hazardous material response squad. Apparently, though, it has been having financial difficulties because of a reduction in grants from Homeland Security. The St. Joseph News-Press has the full story here. The good news is that some of the problems were worked out in a joint meeting recently, and the team will continue. Every county involved in the program deserves great credit for being a part of it. Apparently, though, there could be even more cooperation:

Complicating the situation is a new team in Chillicothe and the St. Joseph haz-mat team splitting the diminishing federal funds three ways.

Do both Buchanan County and St. Joseph need their own haz-mat teams? Are there that many dangerous spills and leaks in one county?

I also enjoyed this idea:

The board also discussed alleviating some of the financial burden on the smaller counties by not counting prison populations as county citizens.

So they get to count the prison population when it helps, as with political redistricting and federal block grants, but not count it when it hurts? Makes sense to me — and, besides, why would an emergency response team ever have to go to a prison?

All these counties deserve kudos for this program, but as the article makes clear, many of them are unable to afford their contributions. Along with lack of 911 service for parts of rural Missouri, this is an example of the choices people in very low-tax areas, such as rural Missouri, have to make. Frankly, they would not even need to raise tax rates to properly fund these public safety issues on a local basis if their assessments were only accurate. But that is another issue, and I hope this regional haz-mat team continues to serve the residents of this area for a long time.

The post Regional Cooperation Continues in Northwest Missouri appeared first on Show-Me Institute.

The governor is asking the commission to use a computer database administered through the Department of Homeland Security to ensure the legitimacy of workers at the site. He wants the commission to terminate contracts or tax credits with developers who knowingly allow contractors to use illegal workers.

Proponents of these regulations argue that there’s a cost in unemployment or lower wages when we allow illegal immigrants to work. Even if that’s true (and it’s not clear to me that it is), we should also consider the costs of identifying illegal immigrants and tracking them down.

The post The Cost of Enforcing Immigration Laws appeared first on Show-Me Institute.

It’s important to keep in mind that if Missouri refuses to implement REAL ID, there’s very little chance of negative repercussions for Missourians. In theory, we won’t be able to use our drivers’ licenses to board airplanes, but it’s extremely unlikely that the Department of Homeland Security would actually blacklist an entire state from air travel. More likely, if Missouri refused to implement REAL ID, it would provide a powerful signal to Congress that the American people don’t want a national ID card.

The post The REAL ID Revolt appeared first on Show-Me Institute.