House GOP Takes Aim at Union 'Dues Skimming' From Family Caregivers, Medicaid

House Republicans want to terminate a scheme in which unions collect dues from federal subsidies to people cared for by relatives, reports Fox News . "Even though the Supreme Court has spoken, we're still seeing a lot a states deducting dues from benefit checks from people who do not want or need a union," notes F. Vincent Vernuccio at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. "Nobody is telling the providers who see the value of unions to stop paying dues. But let the providers get their money, then write a check. This way, they're making their own decision." House GOP officials estimate up to $200 million is diverted from caregivers to unions annually, and they argue this is not what Medicaid is supposed to do. Critics claim some caregivers are unaware that the money is being deducted from their checks and that opting out of the process remains burdensome. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) is prepping legislation to halt the dues skimming practice in all 50 states. "This is robbing our nation's most vulnerable who need Medicaid the most," her office says. "Every dollar that is diverted from a caregiver to a union hurts that family's ability to care for their loved ones." McMorris Rodgers' proposal does not attempt to make structural revisions to Medicaid.