US Representative Steve Scalise invokes a classic stereotype, unemployed gamers, to justify cutting healthcare for millions of Americans
A clip of US Representative Scalise shows him using a tired gaming stereotype to support a bill that cuts health care for millions of Americans.
In a video clip shared on social media, Steve Scalise, the Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, invoked one of the oldest and most tired stereotypes to push for a new bill that will cut Medicaid and Medicare spending in the country. In support of these cuts, Scalise said on Newsmax: “The 35-year-old who’s sitting in his mom’s basement playing video games is gonna have to go get a job again.” This example was used to support placing work requirements on programs like Medicaid and to eliminate “a lot of waste, fraud, and abuse.” This all sounds great on the surface, no one wants people using taxpayer money to sit and play video games all day, especially when that could be going to people who need it. However, imposing a work requirement on a program like Medicaid overlooks a large percentage of people who need the service.
Steve Scalise invokes a tired stereotype, unemployed gamers, to justify cuts to Medicaid for millions of Americans
Even if you live in the U.S., I wouldn’t blame you for not understanding the differences between programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The difference is in how people become eligible. Generally, Medicare is primarily for people 65 and older, but it can also include individuals under that age who have a disability or certain long-term illnesses, as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Medicaid, on the other hand, provides “free or low-cost health coverage to eligible low-income adults, families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities,” via HealthCare.gov.
So, that fictional 35-year-old sitting in his mom’s basement playing video games all day would not qualify for Medicare. They might qualify for Medicaid, but the best-case scenario would be free healthcare, so not exactly a glamorous lifestyle of free money coming in the door every week. To qualify for unemployment benefits, which would provide financial support while they are between jobs, this individual would have to prove to the government that they were not only laid off through no fault of their own, but also that they are actively seeking work.
Just over a month ago, the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on health policy, shared statistics on the work status of individuals under 65 receiving Medicaid. According to their polling, in 2023, approximately 26 million people fell into this category, which accounts for about 7% of the U.S. population. Of those 26 million, 64% are working either full-time or part-time. Of the other 36%, 12% are “not working due to caregiving,” 10% are “not working due to illness or disability,” 7% are “not working due to school attendance,” and 8% are “not working due to retirement, inability to find work, or other reasons.”
Putting a work requirement on Medicaid would essentially be an effort to go after a small subsection of that last 8% of people, but would significantly impact everyone else in that 36%, including parents who stay home to take care of their children, people with disabilities who cannot work, and people in school. These are not the people who need to be forced out of a beneficial program just because Steve Scalise was so worried about 35-year-old gamers taking advantage of the system.
Aside from the blatant mistreatment of millions of American citizens this bill would cause, Scalise’s comments also dredge up the classic stigma against video games that is so tired by now. It amazes me that to this day, some people still see video games as a selfish, childish waste of time. Video games are an art form, and sure, just like any other art, there are good and bad examples of it. However, at their best, video games offer players the unique opportunity to engage with a story or experience in a way that nothing else can. So, please stop dragging innocent gamers into talking points about cutting health coverage for innocent Americans in the name of “waste, fraud, and abuse.”