Our meeting with Senator Koster

[proud2BlibKansan]

Tonight, the KC GOP chapter had a meeting at The Levee in KC and the guest speaker was Senator Koster. We had a Medicaid cuts protest in front of The Levee. As the young repukelicans walked in The Levee, they were reminded of (as the sign said) The War on the Poor. Oh I wish you all could have seen the motley crew! Mostly young, tie wearing men and a couple women who carried red purses. I kid you not! (My one red purse is going in the garbage now.)

One of them told the guy with the sign that he was going to call the police! He asked "For what, standing on the sidewalk?" The repuke sulked back inside and shortly after that, Senator Koster showed up, (driving a big ass SUV, BTW).

The senator was actually very nice. He talked to us for about 15 minutes. He said he had "reluctantly" voted for the governor's recommended cuts in Medicaid and as much as admitted he felt guilty about his vote. He said this session, he decided to counter that vote by proposing legislation clamping down on Medicaid fraud by providers. He said the loss to the state due to fraud by providers was a very serious problem. He gave a dollar amount but I can't remember what it was. I told him that the problem with that tactic was that the malpractice companies will advise doctors not to accept Medicaid patients to avoid the whole fraud issue. He looked at me like that was a consequence he hadn't considered.

I told him I was a teacher and my school has a health and dental clinic that is funded by Medicaid dollars and we are very concerned about the cuts and the possible loss of medical and dental care for our kids. I told him that most of our kids come to kindergarten and have NEVER had dental care. He said he agreed that the lack of dental care for Medicaid patients was a serious issue. Then he said something about a program encouraging dentists to become Medicaid providers but I think he was pulling that idea out of his ass. Maybe evl will remember the details.

He then turned to evl and wanted to know who he was and what he did. He wanted to know what group we were with. And he asked me what I taught and asked for details, almost like he didn't believe me. That was creepy. It was like he was checking us out. But he is a former county prosecutor so I guess he was playing cop or something.

By that time it had started to rain so we left. But the guy with the sign said he was going to stay. Kudos to him!

[usregimechange]

1. It is on the job training for these fools. Thanks for the report...

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Can you believe that repuke threatened to call the cops

Typical repukelican tactic.

[RayOfHope]

3. Thanks for doing this! Koster is my senator, barf

My county is really feeling the cuts.

I know a provider who doesn't get paid by Medicaid until his patients make their co-pay. Many are struggling to make their co-pay, so the providers don't get paid. The repugs really messed things up.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Going after the providers is the wrong solution

That won't restore health care for poor people.