There is a lot of panic in Washington over what might be “cut” by the Department of Government Efficiency – everyone is protective of their own territory. However, like Congress having record low disapproval ratings while having a 95 percent reelection rate, idea of Elon Musk and the gang taking a sledgehammer to waste is appealing, except when it is to a program or policy you like. But a sledgehammer should never be the first tool anyone reaches for. It should absolutely be in the toolbox and used when necessary, but the smart move is to start off with the scalpel and go from there. If you want to actually create change that lasts, the scalpel is the way to go with programs like Medicare and Medicaid.  

There’s an odd disconnect in people’s mind when it comes to entitlements. Anytime there is a discussion of reforming anything related to them, there are the “Keep government’s hands off my Medicare/Medicaid” protesters who come out of the woodwork. As a former health policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, I’ve seen this every time it comes up and it’s never not funny…and sad.