Posted on 12/14/2006 12:54:16 PM PST by SheLion
AUGUSTA - Mainers on Medicaid who smoke would be offered incentives to stop smoking and could face sanctions for not quitting under a measure being introduced by Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake.
"There is a connection between the health of individuals and the fact that they are still smoking," Martin said. "One of the questions that came out of discussions I had with physicians is why we are as a state, and the federal government, paying the health care cost of people that are smoking two and three packs a day."
The Medicaid program serves about 262,000 Mainers at an estimated cost of $2.2 billion a year, with the state paying about $872 million of that total.
Martin said the state should consider both incentives and penalties to get Mainers on the state Medicaid program, called Mainecare, who are smoking to stop. He said Mainecare currently offers smoking cessation programs at no charge to recipients, so the state needs to consider additional steps to encourage Medicaid recipients to quit smoking.
"You could put a sliding fee on those who [continue to smoke] so that they will have to pay a portion of the bill when they go see a medical professional, a doctor or whoever," he said. "I am not sure which way to go on this. I want to go with what is the most successful way to get people to stop" smoking.
Martin said there are some co-pays already assessed to some Medicaid recipients. He said an option would be to waive those payments for nonsmokers.
Ed Miller, the CEO of the American Lung Association of Maine, said Martin’s proposal deserves consideration. He said statistics indicate smoking among Medicaid recipients is higher than among all Mainers.
"Senator Martin is raising the right issue," Miller said. "I think we need to talk about this and what can be done to move this situation even faster. We have seen some positive results, but not as fast as any of us would like."
Miller said his group has long advocated for increased efforts targeting smokers for intensive programs to educate them to the dangers of smoking and to help them quit.
Miller said the smoking problem is far more serious among the low-income population served by the Medicaid program than among all Mainers.
As an example he pointed out that "somewhere around 35 percent of pregnant women on Mainecare are still smoking. That compares to less than 10 percent among all women that are pregnant."
Miller agreed with Martin that smoking contributes to too many of the health problems found in poor Mainers and that the state needs to address the disparity between poor Mainers and the rest of the state’s population.
While acknowledging there is a problem, Chris Hastedt, an advocate with Maine Equal Justice Partners, said Martin’s approach would not be the most effective.
Hastedt said that even though her organization advocates for Maine’s poor, it supported increases in the tax on cigarettes in part because the higher price is a smoking deterrent to poor Mainers. "That kind of approach — that is, increasing the cost of a product that is wreaking havoc with the health of the people of Maine — is the right approach," Hastedt said.
She said Martin’s proposed penalties would make a bad situation worse by making it more difficult for the poor to get needed health care.
"The goal is to improve health, and I don’t see how sanctions would help do that," she said.
Shenna Bellows, executive director of the Maine Civil Liberties Union, said the state should not turn Medicaid workers into "smoking police." She said punishing smokers amounts to "lifestyle discrimination" by the state.
"If the state wants to address the challenge of smoking, there are alternative ways that may not infringe on people’s individual liberties or private lives," she said. "The state could raise taxes on cigarettes without unduly interfering with people’s lives or engaging in lifestyle discrimination."
Martin said he expects his proposal will be controversial, but said the issue is too important to go unaddressed.
"I want to find a solution," he said. "We need to address this and we can’t continue to not do anything about it."
I figured this was coming. This is nothing but a PC way for the socialists to save their broke-a$$ program, and the multitude of the brain-washed sheeple will accept it with glee. (until they get smacked, that is)
Imagine what it'll be like under "hitlery-care".
BTW, they ought to change the state motto to "Maine, the way life in Red China should be!"
I used to live in Portland, Me in the mid 80's. John Martin owned a meat market (nightclub) called "John Martin's Merry Manor". I'm NOT kidding. It was sleazy with fish tanks all over the place, a huge dance floor, and some of the U-G-L-Y-est women you've ever seen. (Maine women are notoriously about the homeliest things I've ever seen. Think it's the weather, or the misery of socialism)
because they need it to support illegals when they go to hospitals and use state services..DUH!!!!
Arizona did, $1.80 is one tax on a pack of smokes, a legal substance. Why after all the years smoking has taken a hit when that habit is only the tip of the ice berg to unhealthy substances used daily from dying hair to cleansing concoctions; fabrics to lotions. You name it and some people or pets are just plain sensitive to various things. I think a Beer tax is in order to share the burden of folks who want to smoke and drink. This latest tax is sure to enrich the out of state sales for cheap cigarettes and the home grown and cured tobacco plant up and running.
I heard an obese nonsmoker the other day complaining that he could smell smoke from other houses when he was outside. It's going to be so funny when they use this groundwork to go after fat people.
Yep.....all the anti-smoke Nazi's who are smilin' 'cause the SMOKERS have been persecuted can now look in the mirror and see if their turn is coming with the "fat tax" and the "fat police" start coming to take away their freedom of choice, too.
I can't wait for the bounties to be placed on reporting obese people to the authorities, with programs such as "Lardass Hot Line" and "Turn in a Fat Ass"......
"Mainers on Medicaid who smoke would be offered incentives to stop smoking and could face sanctions for not quitting under a measure being introduced by Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake."
How about sanctions against those who drink alcohol, soda, or coffee? How about sanctions against the overweight? How about sanctions against those who don`t eat what The State mandates? There is no end to liberal stupidity.
Maine - the only state without a Red Lobster restaurant.
You can be sure that deviant lifestyles that are PROVEN to be the biggest cause of AIDS, and its burden on medical costs to EVERYONE will NOT be an activity that is stopped or sanctions imposed.
I wonder if this will apply to Maine indians who, by law, are allowed untaxed cigarettes.
It's not that simple. State and federal Medicare/Medicaid are viciously intertwined. The federal government takes taxes from the citizens of each state and then sets the rules for Medicare/Medicaid. Even though the state still ends up bearing significant costs, it won't get it portion of federal tax revenue back if it does anything that violates federal regulations.
Medicare is for the elderly - not necessarily poor.
Medicaid is part Federal, part State medical funding for the poor.
My question: If you are eligible for Medicaid (see poverty guidelines) how can you possibly afford 3 packs of cigarettes a day @ $5.00 a pack = $15.00 a day or $450 a month.
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/06fedreg.htm
2006 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of
Columbia
Also, state programs, many unrelated to smoking, funded with smoking lawsuit/cig tax dollars have mandated funding regardless of revenue (ie., less revenue due to smoker declines). How many such programs ever get cut back?
So, it's go back to the well (smokers) because smokers are the one minority that can be publically attacked, and taxed, with moral immunity.
Many of those healthcare "costs" cited by every state can be directly attributed to supporting our illegals within the healthcare system for free.
But, it's easier to go after smokers...
How about because they paid their money in?
"John Martin owned a meat market (nightclub) called "John Martin's Merry Manor""
That is/was a different John Martin.
What about all those seniors who sit around all day watching television or sitting at the card table, not getting any exercise? They're just as much a danger to the pocketbook as smokers are. Oh, wait - smokers don't have the right to abuse their bodies like seniors or fat people. Never mind.
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