The headline of the story; 110,000 poor adults could lose Medicaid coverage sounded terrible until I read the whole article.

If they are able bodied, they don’t have to lose coverage, as all they have to do is get a part-time job, or volunteer 20 hours a week or more, or even better, enroll in a training program to get a skill that will yield a good paying job.

I can understand a little bit about the extra step about medical frailty. Instead of just proving “medical frailty,” states must also prove the condition “significantly impairs” a person from fulfilling work requirements.

But I do think it sends the wrong message when a state senator says that requiring work for a benefit is irresponsible. To me, the opposite is irresponsible and a kick in the face of every hard-working person who is responsible for paying their own healthcare bills, and has to pay a portion of others.

There is nothing compassionate about this.  If people can work, they should work. It is not fair to reward sloth, nor does it send the right message –especially to younger workers, And we wonder why so many workers keep leaving the state and there is never enough money for all of society’s “ills.”

Daniel Montano lives in Old Lyme.