Watch Mike Pence Get Grilled by a Doctor Over Medicaid

An emergency room physician ran into Vice President Mike Pence at an Iowa diner Thursday night — just hours after the Trump administration announced its plan to dramatically overhaul Medicaid, the nation’s health care program for the poor. (The current Medicaid spending model allows states to spend what they need to care for their Medicaid populations; the federal government matches that dollar amount depending on how poor the state is, so low-income states like Mississippi benefit the most.) Critics of block grants — and there are many, especially among Democrats — charge that when states are given more flexibility in capping Medicaid spending, conservative politicians just slash benefits that help the poor.“Is that a good idea, or…?” Davidson asked Pence, who was in town for a Trump campaign rally.Pence didn’t answer the question, and instead started talking about how he designed Medicaid in Indiana when he was governor. People with diabetes who can’t afford insulin … it’s a crisis.” Pence said the administration was inviting innovation and improvements to the program by allowing states more control.“Reform and innovation in the setting of cuts equals less people with healthcare,” Davidson said.