Posted on 11/06/2010 6:14:22 PM PDT by USALiberty
Some Republican lawmakers — still reveling in Tuesday’s statewide election sweep — are proposing an unprecedented solution to the state’s estimated $25 billion budget shortfall: dropping out of the federal Medicaid program.
Far-right conservatives are offering that possibility in impassioned news conferences. Moderate Republicans are studying it behind closed doors. And the party’s advisers on health care policy say it is being discussed more seriously than ever, though they admit it may be as much a huge in-your-face to Washington as anything else.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Ever so sorry, I should have proofed my submission and left out the ‘as we know it’ part. I want all welfare progams funded by taxpayers ended. I want the government OUT of the benevolence industy, it does it badly anyway.
I do think there should be charity available, but through PRIVATE avenues of distribution such as churches or other philanthropic organizations. My rationale for this is simple: when the funds or assistance goes through fewer hands, less is squandered and more reaches the intended target.
BTTT
If it’s ‘being considered’, then it’s probably already a done deal. We have a dire shortage of physicians coming up on us. If we don’t put medicine back into the market, nobody will want to practice here.
There should be an OSHA type monitoring of Medicaid recipients. Marriage is avoided in order to game the Medicaid system and when recipients only have to answer questions about their eligibility status on a yearly basis by phone, common sense would dictate the opportunity for fraud is monumental.
Ping!
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Before any FReepers think me totally heartless and knowing not from whence I speak, I grew up without ANY medical insurance. I received my school shots through the local clinic(for which my parents paid cash) and only saw the doctor when I was REALLY sick.(Fever,intense pain, lingering symptoms...those sorts of things.)
Parents now think it’s perfectly acceptable to have taxpayers foot the bill for they and their kids’ medical care. These so-called parents spend their precious funds on more ‘important’ things: the hair/nail salon, the cellphone, the cable bill, beer, cigarettes...need I continue? A vast segment of the US population needs to fully grasp the meaning of these two words: GROW UP! Not physically grow up but mentally grow up. Being an adult means taking RESPONSIBILITY of your life, this includes financial responsibility. For the survival of the nation, the welfare gravy train is going to have to pull into the station and EVERYONE is going to have to get off.
Forget that. We should secede already.
And drop completely any unfunded mandate
Completely de-fund the left
If it will drive the illegals out of Texas lets do it.
How about denial of all medical services to the 60,000 anchor babies who are born in Texas every single year?
I agree. And that's why I think it's a good thing that even people who are poor should be compelled to pay some kind of copay and chip in for a system like these Texas hospitals have, with local hospital-based insurance. They are never going to be able to afford $1500-a-month BC/BS coverage, but then neither can I, and neither can a lot of working people. This is a good compromise.
I have “health insurance”. I pay $271.00 a month, my employer pays $271.00 a month.($542.00 is paid towards my insurance every month)
My deductable is $2000.00 before any insurance benefits kick in. After I pay an additional $2000.00 cash for services rendered, my insurance company just might pay 80% of charges, untill I pay $5000.00 in actual cash, in any one calender year.
I can't be certain how much my insurance will cover, because my doctor refuses to tell me in advance how much he will actually charge for his service.
But I can not really schedule any appointments unless I have at least $2000.00 cash saved up to pay for my insurance deductable.
Otherwise, I won't be allowed to be seen by the doctor's assistant.
OTOH, If I didn't have an insurance policy, and had to pay cash for medical treatment, the same doctor would charge double the rate he charges patients who have insurance.
Cash paying customer Charged $460.00 for an office visit,visual exam, and taking two skin biopcies.
My real cash cost so far for services rendered, $206.73.
I do not know how much the lab is going to charge me for reading the results of my biopsy.
I am still awaiting the bill.
YOU do not pay jackshit for my healthcare, or lack thereof.
YOU actually jacked up my cost for healthcare, because
YOU ignorantly think the Doctor has an actual set price for his services.
YOU don't appear to care that there is no real way to actually shop around for the best healthcare practitioner.
YOU appear to be content with an arbitrary system, that YOU pay extra for, one entirely divorced from actual cost/benefit ratios.
In general, I think that ending Medicaid is a good idea...however, without eliminating EMTALA, ending Medicaid will only result in these people showing up in Emergency Rooms as “uninsured” people entitled to the same care that Medicaid used to reimburse for...driving hospitals further into the red as they are forced by federal law to treat these folks for free.
Beware the law of unintended consequence.
He must also remember that the Federal money also requires that the hospitals provide life saving care regardless of the ability to pay for any person walking in to the hospital.
For Texas that I am sure is a huge expense.
Do the math. I bet that the Federal money is costing the state more than it is getting.
Reject the Federal money and the strings attached to the same.
If they do this I am moving to Texas.
have NOT remembered....
AAAARRRGGHHHH....
I thought I was being profound and I keep forgetting that I am half blind and need to proof read.
I think thats another thing the left wants to being to an end, hospitals having their own plans.
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