Posted on 06/30/2012 5:33:56 PM PDT by Lorianne
It's no secret there's a health-care crisis in Texas. The state has the biggest uninsured population in the country with around 6.2 million—or a quarter of all residents—lacking insurance. As a Kaiser Health News report highlighted, poor and uninsured Texans must sometimes wait more than 24 hours in emergency rooms, where treatment is most expensive, while more cost-effective health-care options, like preventative care, are out of reach.
The Affordable Care Act was supposed to change all that. It offered new avenues for health-care coverage to people at all income levels by expanding Medicaid. But yesterday's Supreme Court decision made it optional for states to expand their Medicaid coverage. "There's going to be a donut hole in the middle if a state doesn't proceed," says Edwin Park, vice president for health policy at the D.C.-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In Texas, if the state chooses not to expand its services, almost two million people may be stuck in limbo—without access to Medicaid, but too poor for the subsidies.
First, a little background about the Court's decision: A key element of the ACA was expanding Medicaid to provide insurance for those making up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line; those who make above that amount can receive subsidies to help pay for their insurance. Prior to the ruling, states had little choice but to expand their programs by January 2014; if they did not, they risked losing all their Medicaid dollars. Now, however, the Court has ruled that states can only lose the extra dollars they would get through expansion, meaning they'll keep the Medicaid dollars they're already getting.
(Excerpt) Read more at prospect.org ...
They can start with buying coverage, like the rest of us. I bet 90% or more have multiple cell phones and cable tv in their households. If proper reforms go through (the opposite of those in Obamacare) these folks will have more options and at cheaper prices that will be less than their cell/cable bills.
Here we go. Right on cue.
Yep.
The health care sector is freaking out that it might miss out on MORE Obama Dollars than it already gets.
Yep.
The health care sector is freaking out that it might miss out on MORE Obama Dollars than it already gets.
[ In Texas, if the state chooses not to expand its services, almost two million people may be stuck in limbo—without access to Medicaid, but too poor for the subsidies ]
If they don’t like living in TX, they can always go back to Mexico.
They can get free cell phones from the government as well.
There is quite literally a Doc-in-the-box on every corner in major cities in Texas. I have used them in the past when I was temporarily uninsured and they are quite capable for most non-emergency situations and reasonably priced.
I had a Dem FB friend tell me he liked Obamacare because it forced people to pay for insurance like the rest of us. As I pointed out, Obamacare specifically excludes illegals, which in border states especially, are a good third of no pays that hospitals have to treat by law.
I don’t understand the mentality of folks that think they deserve a product or service for free.
EXACTLY...I’d say three quarters. Maybe Perry Homes & Charles Butt would pick up the tab...but wait...who would finance Perry’s reelection campaign.
Your FB friend is wrong. Obamacare was relying heavily on the Medicaid expansion for at least half of the newly ‘insured’. And those people would not have been paying for their ‘insurance’.
But it is really the health care industry that is freaking out about this. They were counting on a huge windfall in Obama Money with the expansion of Medicaid.
Of course the Federal price controls will so apply to all payors since they will not be able to pay out as much when they are forced to a accept applicants with pre-existing conditions. They will not be able to charge premiums high enough to be profitable.
This will necessarily result in a single payor or "nationalized heath care" leading to health disaster and federal bankruptcy. Sooner than later.
What did your friend say to that??? That’s all I’m seeing (online) from the Left! Magic pixie dust will be sprayed all over the deadbeat looters and they will pay up! Illegals, the same number the goobt keeps touting (30-50 million) are, as per usual, exempt from everything. And, at least here in southern AZ, THEY are the ones using ERs for sniffles and for having their anchor babies.
The Affordable Care Act is to expensive....we cannot afford it. This escapade will not end well. No one is talking about the loss of Freedom and Liberty. No one in the government. We may have one chance left. My assessment is that for all of the parameters to gel together timely for a decent result is very unlikely. Texas should tell Obama to stick it where the coliforms grow and the parasites whistle all day. Folks you might just as well move to Greece with the wisdom of the leadership in this country.
This was the intent of the Communists/Democrats all along. To destroy capitalism, you have to bankrupt the nation. Then Communists/Democrats take over. Then the Ayers-mentioned purges/murders/camps begin.
Real about Pol Pot in Cambodia to see their REAL vision.
Oh, really? First I've heard of this.
This is starting to get interesting. I doubt the Court really cared much about Medicare, it was just a small consolation prize.
...but it looks to be a bigger and bigger deal. It looks like a LOT of people that were looking for a free ride will have to wait a bit longer.
If they don’t like it here, they can go back to Mexico or whatever Blue socialist state they came from.
Right now, most Texans are telling Greg Abbot (AG) to continue fighting with everything he can throw at them. He is just as fit to be tied over the SCOTUS ruling as we all are. Yesterday, he posted on FB he has “just begun to fight”
The Medicaid/Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals have been dropping for years.
I know of a number of doctors that have resorted to no longer accepting patients associated with these programs. I know of many that have cut their practices by 3/4 and charge an annual fee if you want to remain their patient.
And so now the demand for health care will increase, with absolutely nothing done by anyone to increase the supply of health care.
Jimmy Carter II. Except the lines will be at ERs not at gas pumps. (Unless Zero and his minions think there are as many unemployed doctors working at Starbucks as there are unemployed lawyers working at Starbucks. As dumb as this guy has proven to be, it's entirely possible.)
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