House Passes Budget That Cuts Medicaid

[Junkdrawer]

WASHINGTON - The House narrowly passed a $2.6 trillion budget Thursday evening that would cut back the Medicaid health care program for the poor for the first time since 1997 in a step toward trimming federal deficits.

The 214-211 vote approved a blueprint that instructs lawmakers to freeze or cut spending in many domestic programs outside defense and homeland security and restrain farm, student loan, pension and some other government programs that grow automatically from year to year.

The Senate simultaneously debated the measure and moved toward a vote Thursday night.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said it's time to look closely at benefit programs that are "popular but rife with waste."

"These entitlement programs deserve reform," he said. "The Medicaid system is antiquated and the quality of care is not being brought to the people that need it."

...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050429/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending

[whistle]

1. Tom DeLay (soon to be Tom DeLete) said....

..."The Medicaid system is antiquated and the quality of care is not being brought to the people that need it."

Wow, at least he is admitting the truth, but I know this bastard means that Medicaid as a welfare program should be eliminated so quality care can go to those who can pay for it. That's why $10 billion is being stripped from Medicaid. What a prick.:freak:

[hector459]

49. The problem with Medicaid IS NOT the poor people receiving the service

It's the criminal doctors and others who bill for services, mostly friends of the Republicans now controlling all the de-regulation on the medical profession and drug companies.

[sui generis]

55. you are dead on

and no price regulation for Big Pharma. This country is turning into a joke. At least, hopefully, it will serve as a warning to other liberal nations who are struggling with their own "conservative" political factions.

[ChiciB1]

62. Waaaaaay Back In RayGuns Administration, When Deregulation Began

this stuff was predicted. Personally I think deregulation has been at the core of MOST of the Corporate Corruption that is going on today!

I have friends who worked for the Aviation Industry who have told me that deregulation was the main factor in their their job loss. Not only that, but the downfall of many companies who have been "bailed out" by our government!

I also think it was the beginning of the decline of Labor Unions because they were depicted as being the PROBLEM, as opposed to turning an eye-ball onto the real scoundrels!

I realize that Labor Unions have had their share of scandals, and don't have the cleanest hands, but overall having been on the receiving end of the pluses of a Labor Union, I think they at least tried to be helpful to the common man. Had it not been for my husband's connection with his Labor Union while he worked for GTE, we wouldn't have had the opportunity to to enroll in a 401K program and at least save "some" money. A lot that we LOST after 9/11 was because we foolishly felt that the Stock Market was a good place to increase our savings. For a while we did make some money, but after 9/11 lost around $145,000 before we switched over to a Money Market account. We have NEVER gotten close to recouping any of the losses. Still about $100.000 short!! To date, we are STILL leaking!

[bikebloke]

64. I once worked for a medical center

They were reeling in the same Medicaid recipients every month for routine eye exams. What a racket.

Once a doctor was leading some residents around. He told them that if they used one procedure, the patient would only have to return once. But if they used another, then they'd return *six* times. You could see the dollar signs in his eyes.

[whistle]

73. yes, providing a license to steal

[SammyBlue]

72. Top Ten icons (IHMO

Yes, there are alot of them. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT!!!! THIS IS HOW JACKHOLE-ISH THIS PROPOSAL AND BILL ARE!!!

[Gatchaman]

2. Medicaid does need reform...

It needs reform to clean up fraudulent billing practices, paperwork nightmares designed to favor overpayments to medical providers, and unnecessary procedures to pad hospitals' bottom lines. It does not need the hamfisted "reform" (read: dismantling) of a bunch of millionaire right wing zealots.

[pfitz59]

4. like the Frist family?

first family of medicare fraud!

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. So that justifies taking health care away

from the poor?

Can't they clean it up without abandoning the needy who depend on it?

[saigon68]

8. Hateful, homophobic,RACIST millionaire right wing zealots

THERE THAT'S BETTER.

[Daphne08]

28. Maybe all the poor people will just die before they become

old or ill!

Republicans prefer to give billions in tax refunds to those few millionaires and billionaires rather than help the poor and sick in their own country! Very un-Christian-like behavior for the GOP which claims to be compassionate.

Shame! Shame!

Republicans prefer to sqander billions in an illegal war rather than help needy Americans here at home!

Shame! Shame!

[jwirr]

31. How many of you that are saying Medicaid needs reform

have ever been on the program? The most fraud I have seen from the inside of the program is when a rare doctor, dentist or hospital charges for false work.

The reason this program is so expensive is because it takes care of grandma and grandpa in the nursing home or in their own homes with home health services, the girl and boy down the street with cerebral palsy or some other disability, the working poor and their families, and often the premature babies that need special care, such as my friends child: she was 1 1/2 pounds when she was born and has a feeding tube to help her catch up as well as being blind.

These asses cannot have it both ways: either God wants us to help these people or they can stop yelling about abortion.

[raccoon]

58. Absolutely, Medicare & Medicaid

and probably a lot of private insurance companies ought to carefully audit hospital bills. Eliminating double billings, billing errors (in favor of the provider, no doubt) would save a lot of money.

[roguevalley]

3. there is no end to their evil.

[NVMojo]

6. the elites are out of the control .....

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. They are eliminating it entirely in Missouri

http://www.mdn.org/2005/STORIES/MEDPAS.HTM

The Missouri legislature has shortened the life span of Medicaid...to just three years.

Lawmakers have passed the bill that will make huge changes to the program.

An estimated 100,000 people will no longer be eligible for the same Medicaid coverage.

And the Medicaid program will be completely eliminated in 2008.

[Junkdrawer]

9. So what will they do...kick the elderly and retarded into the streets?

:shrug:

[Erika]

10. Yes, along with the disabled

Remember, we are now living in the GOP America - if you are needy, you're a drag on society and who cares if you die. They don't.

[raccoon]

59. but if you're a fetus

you're highly valued...until you're born.

[seventythree]

12. the elderly have medicare

unless they are destitute in a nursing home and then medicaid takes over, and I believe those on SSI also get medicare, but I could be wrong. Maybe Michigan has it's own program for the destitute? In the end everyone who self pays or has insurance pays for the rest anyway with higher hospital bills/doctor bills to make up for the 37cents on a dollar that medicaid pays, and medicare doesn't reimburse much better.

[Junkdrawer]

14. Here's how it works in PA...

Medicaid is a federal/state program that provides health, community-based and institutional long-term services and supports, for children and families, the elderly, and people with disabilities. In 2000, more than 1.75 million Pennsylvania residents received services through Medicaid, including 391,401 people with disabilities

As the national economy has weakened and as Pennsylvania struggles to balance its budget and provide critical and life-saving services for its residents, The Arc of the United States and United Cerebral Palsy—national organizations that provide a voice for persons with mental retardation and cerebral palsy—have compiled information to help the public understand the essential role of Medicaid in providing critical services and supports to Pennsylvanians with mental retardation, cerebral palsy and related disabilities. As the state cuts its budget and prioritizes programs, care must be taken not to hurt our most vulnerable residents by cutting eligibility for Medicaid or eliminating critical Medicaid services.

...

http://www.thearc.org/medicaid/pennsylvania.doc

[jwirr]

32. SSI get Medicaid - or at least we did.

[zanne]

48. Unless they are destitute?

Medicare only pays for rehabilitation in a nursing home (less than two months). Then, homeowners lose their homes to the nursing home. After that money is gone, Medicaid takes over.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. The repuke gov of MO obviously doesn't care

He is a twit. His wife wore a fur coat to the inaugural. He had panic butttons installed in the gov mansion. Don't need no poh folks invadin his paradise.

Oh and guess what he did before being elected in Nov? Sec of State AND head of chimp's re-election campaign in MO.

[proud2BlibKansan]

53. "supposedly"

they are coming up with a better system. But I will believe that when I see it.

[DUBYASCREWEDUS]

11. WITHOUT MEDICAID

And no means of support and no way to pay where are the poor supposed to go for health care? If they have no Medicaid who will take care of them? These "God Fearing Moral Christians" have just stripped the Medicaid system, decimated the bankruptcy laws and have Social Security in their cross-hairs. We are going to be a country of the very few rich and the many, many poor and it is coming in the very near future.

[Erika]

15. Bush is a corporate globalist . He is the villain as described

in the works of Dickens, Hugo, and Zola. He misled a lot of good people into voting for him. But the proof of what he is in his actions.

[atreides1]

27. "...where are the poor supposed to go for health care?"

Why the poor, the destitute, those most in need will be sent to the nearest religious organization that's getting money for their "Faith Base" programs.

And if some refuse to be preached to, then who really cares about a bunch of Godless poor people.

Well everyone it begins the attacks by the Right on the poor and disabled with the assitance of the Fristian Taliban.

Now, how long do we wait?

[anitar1]

84. After speaking with many fellow retirees ,

we conclude it is a form of genicide. If you're old and poor, just die and get out of our way. Plus they won't have to send the SS check anymore. I really do believe that.

[Daphne08]

30. Yes, and the idiotic Middle-Class Republicans who are voting

for these politicians don't even have the sense to realize that they also will be financially harmed.

[Triana]

38. It's here NOW...(N/T)

[raccoon]

63. You're absolutely right.

and it won't be long.

[Rainscents]

16. What is difference between Medicaid and Medicare?

Does anyone here know?

[Junkdrawer]

17. The Medicaid - Medicare Relationship

Most aged and/or disabled persons who are very poor are covered under both the Medicaid and Medicare programs. These persons may receive the Medicare services for which they are entitled as well as other services available under that State's Medicaid program. As each State elects for its Medicaid Plan, services (such as hearing aids, eyeglasses and nursing facility care beyond the 100 days covered by Medicare) may be provided to these persons by the Medicaid program. And the Medicaid program pays all of the cost-sharing portions of Medicare Part A and B for these fully-eligible persons.

In addition, there are other Medicare beneficiaries (QDWIs, QMBs or SLMBs - see below) who are not fully eligible for Medicaid, but who do receive some help through a State Medicaid program's payment of part or all of the person's Medicare premiums and cost-sharing expenses. Persons identified as Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals ("QDWIs") who lost Medicare benefits because of their return to work are allowed to purchase Medicare HI and SMI coverage. However, the HI premium (but not the SMI premium) must be paid by the State Medicaid program for QDWIs with incomes below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

Other Medicare beneficiaries who may receive some assistance are those known as Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries ("QMBs") and those known as Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries ("SLMBs"). For the QMBs, (those Medicare beneficiaries who have incomes below the FPL and resources at or below twice the standard allowed under the SSI program), the State pays all the Medicare cost-sharing expenses and premiums for Medicare HI and SMI. For the SLMBs, (beneficiaries with resources like QMBs, but with slightly higher incomes: less than 110 percent of FPL in 1993 and 1994, and less than 120 percent in 1995), the Medicaid program pays (only) the SMI premiums.

Medicaid is always to be the "payor of last resort"; thus if a person is a Medicare beneficiary, then payments for any services covered by Medicare are made by the Medicare program before any payments are made by the Medicaid program.

....

http://www.netreach.net/~wmanning/mmjoint.htm

[Rainscents]

66. Thank You!

[Catrina]

19. The difference between

Medicaid and Medicare is .... Medicaid is for the poor and disabled who have no healthcare, and even as it is, you have to be practically destitute to get it.

Medicare is for the elderly ~

These people are truly evil, this will leave children and poor families without any means at all of getting treatment when they are sick.

If there is any justice, all of them should one day lose their wealth and have to go to a hospital only to be turned away because they have no healthcare, and medicaid is no longer available as a result of their own evil attacks on the poor.

How about abolishing taxpayer healthcare for members of Congress? We cannot afford to be coddling these people any more, imo. Let them get their own healthcare.

[Gelliebeans]

25. Disabled people

qualify for medicare after a certain period of time regardless of their income level.

[Carolab]

33. Yes, indeed. It is certainly a waste of taxpayer money to insure DeLay,

Frist, et al.

You want "ownership"? Okay, BUY HEALTH CARE YOURSELVES and STOP taking TAXPAYER money for it while you cut the taxpayers OUT!

[halobeam]

20. This is how I understand it.

Medicaid is more for temporary assistance or certain circumstances when they don't qualify for permanent disability, or they have a parent who is in this circumstance. Then the child would recieve medicaid, but not be disabled themselves.

Medicare is for permanent disability or for seniors who qualify due to quarters worked or quarters that a spouse worked.

Ex: someone could be permanently disabled and not have enough quarters worked for medicare and soc.sec. disability. Therefore they would recieve soc.sec. insurance and medicaid.

[jwirr]

Medicaid is for the poorest part of our society and pays for

most basic medical needs including medicines. Medicare is for people on Social Security who are living in the community. It stops paying for nursing home care 180 days after admission and does not pay for meds unless you call bushies new program helpful. If the person is on Medicare & Social Security and is still poor (under the guide lines) then they can also get Medicaid which is how the nursing homes are often paid.

In the mid 1990s I saw a memo that said that most long term residents of the nursing home use up their life savings in 7-8 months and then rely on Medicaid.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

18. Yet, Defense and Homeland Security are pillars of efficiency.

:rofl:

[lovuian]

21. Ok so what happens to a old senile person in the Nursing home

who has used up all their money??? Do they kick them out on the streets???

[Gemini Cat]

22. Cutting?

More like murdering! How many people who need medicaide will be cut and subsequently die?
This is beyond the pale.

[Javaman]

23. Reminds me of an old Dead Kennedy's song...

"kill the poor".

[Learning2Fly]

24. Quite a shameful policy

Is Missouri that broke or are they just vying for the title of Most Inhumane State in the Union? Perhaps Missouri is adopting a "war on poverty" program AGAINST the poor?

[zann725]

26. DeLay cuts programs "rife with waste?" "Rife with waste" is HIS budget.

Shouldn't we begin cutting there?

The 'pot calling the kettle'...

[Justitia]

29. US House: "Cut off the useless eaters!"

How very 1930s Germany....

[bdot]

34. finally

Medicade is one of those programs that needed a huge cutback.

[jwirr]

37. Why don't you try to explain that statement?

[rockedthevoteinMA]

42. Excuse me? Yeah an explanation of that would help,

but I doubt we'll get one. Here in Mass, there are have been tons of cut to Medicaid, and it's not right. The people who they have cut from the program lately have been those who need it most. The disabled, the mentally ill, elderly and children. Do you really think those people need to be left out on their own without the treatment they need?

[salin]

44. Yep, we should be a society where kids just die young, if they get sick.

*sarcasm*

Have family in the medical business. The rate of repayment - before the last cutback (not mentioning this) had already made it difficult for the small practice to cover the costs of providing care to medicaid patients. Yet they still (to date) do provide those services. I venture to guess that if one calculated the real cost of services provided to those on medicaid compared to what the govt pays - that it would be a heck of a lot better (eg what one gets in value for what one pays) than most programs. The problem is that the rate of payment is so low, that many for profit entities have stopped providing services to medicaid patients altogether.

Family member (in the baby delivery field) was asked, when he mentioned the number of places that were on the verge of stopping providing services, where he expected babies to be born? It was as if the belief was if you stop providing care that people would stop having babies.... and oddly - said family member had never even thought about this question - even though it is the most obvious extension (in terms of what happens next) to the situation that was being described (where no facility providing birthing rooms would take medicaid patients.)

So what exactly would YOU propose as an alternative? When a serious medical situation arises in a family struggling to make ends meet, working two or more jobs at minimum wage positions that offer no health benefits... what exactly should be done. Nothing? Let a treatable illness progress to where it is no longer treatable, but fatal? Is that the society that we want? Sorta makes even a big joke out of the reactions to the Schaivo case, doesn't it?

[Bridget Burke]

45. Details, please!

And it's spelled "Medicaid."

[PA Democrat]

46. Medicade??? If you can't even spell the name of the program

I hardly think you have rationale to back up that statement.

[sui generis]

56. it is customary to elaborate on bizarre statements

or were you being sarcastic? You can use a :sarcasm: tag to indicate that you were exercising biting wit, and not lack of wit.

[flordehinojos]

35. To all the Christian Right Chest Thumping government officials i have only

three things to say,

"I was Hungry and you fed me".

"I was in prison and you visited me".

"I was naked and you clothed me".

and while it doesn't say, I WAS SICK AND YOU TOOK CARE OF ME ...

the spirit implied in the above three bible quotes also means, I WAS SICK AND YOU TOOK CARE OF ME...

something you all seem to know nothing about.

SO WHEN YOU DIE AS WE ALL SHALL (EVEN POPE JOHN PAUL THE GREAT--OR THE GREAT POPE AS POPE BENNY LIKES TO CALL HIM--DIED) AND YOU GET TO YOUR DESIRED HEAVEN, IS GOD GOING TO SAY TO YOU ...

"WHERE ARE MY MILLIONS?" ... OR, IS HE GOING TO SAY TO YOU, "HOW MANY PEOPLE DID YOU HELP?"

[Voltaire99]

36. Credit to Hillary where due

She's generally far too Bush-lite for me, but she deserves props for criticizing the bill on social justice principles.

Try applying the same thinking to Iraq and abortion rights, Hillary--you'd be surprised what principles can do for you.

[TygrBright]

39. HORSE PUCKEY!!!

"Rife with waste" my lily-white ass!!

I was once part of a team in Minnesota that analyzed the administrative costs of Medicaid and compared them with the administrative costs of private insurance.

Of every dollar spent on medicaid, better than ninety cents went to ACTUAL PATIENT CARE.

Of every dollar spent on private insurance the figure was closer to seventy-five cents.

Yes, there may be some people "gaming the system" by handing over assets to family members so they can get into a nursing home before spending themselves dead broke. Whoopty-do. We're talking people who own maybe a modest-priced home and a car. You know why they do that? They have a pathetic hope that someday they'll be able to "go home again" and they want a home to go to.

Yes, there's a few medical providers deliberately and maliciously over-billing, double-billing, etc. Fine. Find 'em, prosecute 'em. Most "double-billing" is errors. Since the average state Medicaid administration system takes approximately 90 to 120 days to pay legitimate charges, it's not surprising that providers occasionally make mistakes. The program should be thanking God there are any providers left at all willing to take Medicaid patients, considering how crappy the reimbursement rates are and how many irritating bureaucratic hoops they make them jump through just to get paid for care already given.

This is pure greed and indifference.

It is EVIL.

These FUCKERS deserve to be tossed out of office so hard they haven't stopped bouncing by 2050.

Sweet lord, is there no end to their cruelty?

the opposite of calmly,
Bright

[moondust]

40. But where will Wal-Mart employees get health care?

http://www.union-network.org/unisite/sectors/commerce/Multinationals/Wal-Mart_Iowa_health_care.htm

Wal-Mart is subsidised also in Iowa where state pays healthcare costs.

Iowa is the most recent U.S. State to reveal that Wal-Mart tops the list of companies who let taxpayers finance workers' health care. According to a report by the Iowa Department of Human Services, 845 Wal-Mart workers received benefits from the state's Medicaid programme.

These latest revelations of Wal-Mart's poor healthcare performance come as Iowa is facing a 170 million USD deficit for its Medicaid programme.

- ‘If Wal-Mart has full-time employees that are on Medicaid, that's outrageous,'' State Senator Joe Bolkcom (D-Iowa City) said to QC Times.

- This is a company making billions of dollars in profit a year with their low prices, but they also have a concurrent responsibility to not foist off the health care costs of their employees on Iowa taxpayers.'


Do talk about waste, Mr. Delayed.

[Junkdrawer]

41. Ted Kennedy's Statement on the Cuts...

...

MEDICAID Just last month, the Senate made it clear that cuts to the Medicaid program were unacceptable. In a bipartisan vote, we agreed to not make any cuts until a bipartisan commission had time to examine the Medicaid program and recommend possible reforms based on sound policy. And just this week, in an overwhelming bipartisan vote, the House instructed the budget conferees not to cut Medicaid.

Yet the budget we will be voting on shortly not only cuts Medicaid -- despite consensus in both the House and Senate against cuts -- its cuts to the program are deeper than those we voted down in March. The Senate rejected $15 billion in cuts to the Finance Committee last month, yet this budget report that was drafted in the dark of night behind closed doors forces the Finance Committee to cut $10 billion.

And if these cuts were not bad enough, the bipartisan Medicaid commission has turned into a partisan commission that the Administration can stack with members they know will recommend the cuts their predetermined cuts. Instead of a real examination of the Medicaid program so that we can modernize the program with needed reforms, we will have a commission whose agenda will be to recommend cuts.

...

http://kennedy.senate.gov/index_high.html

Here's hoping the Senate stops this madness.

[Sugarbleus]

80. Just dropped in and saw the home page piece on further Medicaid

CUTS!!!!!!!!!!! What in the bloody hell is going on???? Just last month the cuts were abandoned in a bi partisan vote.

I am STUNNED and my blood pressure just shot through the roof again.

I'm in disbelief. How could this happen? What are the rules for such a turnaround? :wow:

My disabled hubby has depended on Medicaid since 1979. I started using it plus medicare about three years ago. I was uninsured for 20 YEARS (even though I worked)!! My health went to shit in a hurry without simple basic care. Now that I depend on medicaid (and the current cutbacks have been horrifying by the way)...they want to gut it MORE!!????

I have to testify that it's true; they are willing to let the poorest folk just die off. THIS IS FOR REAL. My husband's treatment over the last few years has slacked off something abominable. He needs a particular life saving treatment or test...the doors are SLAMMED IN THE FACE. My hand to God on this!!!

In my case it's not much better. Just this last month I had a serious dental problem. I paid CASH to a private dentist to find out what the heck the problem was. He said he didn't know. I went to the dental clinic for low income/medicaid population and they found out what the problem is. They sent me home with NO PAIN KILLERS, and suggested I get "approval" via medicaid for root canals at another clinic in another town!! I decided I wanted my teeth pulled and have partial plates made. They said they couldn't get me in until 2.5 more months from now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here I sit with excruciating pain and infection in my jaws, teeth barely clinging to jaw bone and NO ONE will see me until they are good and ready. NO pain killers offered PLUS medicaid doesn't PAY for partial plate dentures. Okay, I'LL PAY for the goddamned dentures but someone needs respond to my periodontal disease and extract these rotting, painful teeth right now!! WTF

Can you imagine having some painful-even life threatening, drastic condition and then being asked to either go away or wait for as long as it takes for whatever relief they can afford to give you????

I am so frustrated I could explode. I and hubby HATE this Government. I despise the people who support it. I pray they fall into some horrid situation that causes them unrelenting pain and suffering. :grr:

We live daily IN FEAR, unrelenting FEAR that we'll lose the roof over our heads: HOUSING CRISIS, that we'll loose/have cuts to our pensions and disability benefits, that we'll be left to suffer and die, and that our kids and grandkids will be left with no EMPLOYMENT to support themselves. Grants for college are another worry.

Oh yeah, life for people like us is just a "chair of bowlies"

These neocon, facsist, plutocrat, robber barons need to be eliminated. The world cannot function with them in power. Motherfuckers, I think I'll take up Voodoo. :nuke:

[MaineDem]

43. Why did 7 Democrats NOT VOTE???

They could have made the difference. Damn!

Clyburn
Doggett
Filner
Ford
Jefferson
Rothman
Towns

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll149.xml

[mdhunter]

47. So the fix is to deny all care to people who need it, quality or otherwise

That makes a shit load of sense.

[Virginian]

50. Nothing to see here, go watch the President talk about Social Security.

Didn't they time this vote so that it was hidden behind the President's Prime Time news conference? Or... was the news conference timed to coverup this medicaid vote? Was that why it was moved up to 8:00 -- because the time of the vote had changed?

[Junkdrawer]

51. Why, the thought occurred to me too...

While we watched Bush, the House cut Medicaid...

[Junkdrawer]

52. THE SENATE PASSED IT TOO...

The article the original link pointed to was updated...

....

The vote was 214-211 in the House and 52-47 in the Senate.

The budget resolution is nonbinding, but it sets critical guidelines for lawmakers as they make decisions on taxes and specific spending programs for the 2006 fiscal year that begins October 1. Equally important, tax and spending legislation passed under direction from the budget is immune from Senate filibusters.

....

[PA Democrat]

54. This is horrible

In PA, there are drastic cuts in Medicaid already on the table, based upon the state's budget problems. If there are cuts in the federal monies going to the states, I shudder to think of what will happen.

I hate these sanctimonious fake Christians like our wonderful Senator Santorum. Rick Santorum should stop thumping his bible and read it, especially the part where Jesus said, "Whatsoever you do to these, the least of my brothers and sisters, that you do unto me."

[Junkdrawer]

65. You bet. My friend is the director of Philly ARC, and he was worried...

before because Rendell was going to cut Medicaid for the disabled. With this, it looks very grim - and my brother is retarded in a group home funded primarily by Medicaid.

Horrible indeed.

[PA Democrat]

78. My daughter has autism

This will probably affect her down the road as well. So much for the culture of life, huh?

I was on the board of directors for our local Arc chapter for a number of years. They do such fabulous work on behalf of the disabled, and are constantly trying to do more for this growing population with dwindling public funding. Stories like this, which illustrate the lack of concern for the disabled and the poor keep me awake at night.

I wish all the best for you and your brother. :hug:

[Toucano]

77. I guess we have to thank Voinovich again.

He and DeWine (OH) both voted with the SOLID Democratic minority.

Lieberman didn't vote.

[ernstbass]

57. These Medicaid cuts will come back to bite them in the ass

Folks won't have time to worry about "feeling safe" when they have to focus on how to pay for Grndma to be in the nsg home

[Ilsa]

60. I hate these bastards.

Phew. I feel better.

Sen. Clinton was right when she devised the Health Care Reform in 1993-1994. Too bad Americans were too stupid to accept it then, but I suspect we'll end up with some form of govt takeover of healthcare. I don't see how we can avoid it without a revolution.

[earth mom]

61. I HATE These Bastards Too!

Bastards! Bastards! Bastards! ALL!

Whew, I feel better too!

I can't believe people can be so damned cold and viscous. Unbelievable!!! :grr:

[Rainscents]

67. My Ex-boyfriend (Republican) is waiting for his Dad to pass, so he could

get his father's home in FL. I told him, he better die quickly (Heart attack, accident, etc...), if he die of long health probelm, forget about getting his fathers home, as governmwnt will take his father's home to pay his hospital bill he'll owe. My ex told me, I was full of shit and I don't know what I'm talking about. I told him this last Oct... What do you know, I was right!

[DollyM]

68. The people using the system aren't the ones causing the "waste."

It seems as if they are punishing the wrong people! If they feel that waste is the problem then reform the system don't punish the people who need it, it's not their fault if corrupt medical professionals squander the system money. I have never understood the Bush mentality of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I just keep thinking, what if he had a seriously ill child and couldn't pay for his or her medical care. His tune would change quickly. Perhaps Mr. Bush needs to be a "guest" in a medicaid or Medicare ward of a Nursing Home for a few days or have to utilize a Veterans clinic. I have never felt there has been a president so uncaring and out of touch with reality as this one. How will we survive the next 3 years?

[Rainscents]

69. I am so scare for our country and the people.

This administration is taking our country to hell.

[SeekerofTruth]

70. They're not cutting benefits, they're cutting the growth

I hate the government and news media when they lie. Government programs are hardly ever cut, the growth rate is reduced. For example: Instead of growing at 6% a year it will grow at 3% a year. The government calls this a cut.

I wish I had a cut of 3% growth a year!

Why don't they tell us what last year's budget was and what the new budget will be!!!

[jwirr]

71. As one of the people on Medicaid and also

a mother of a child who's life is threatened by these cuts, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who tried to stop this from happening. I especially want to thank the DUers. You are very supportive and a real family.

[Shallah Kali]

74. They have $ to give tax cuts to Oil Companies but can't spare anything for

the poor and disabled. Oil companies revenue is up up up but they they need more help than kids who weren't wise enough to get born to a corporate robber baron.

[arikara]

79. Them and the weapons manufacturerers

although they're probably one and the same. They wouldn't dream of making cuts to the military industrial welfare complex.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

75. Dems need to frame this issue as the "F*** THE POOR" budget

A heavy drumbeat of Repukes are out to fuck the poor will do wonders in getting Ma & Pa Kettle to forget about those "nasty gays getting married" or abortion.

JB

[Shallah Kali]

82. Stop worrying that they gays are trying to get in your pants

it is rw in there picking your pockets.

[retnavyliberal]

76. It's all part of the SS plan,

he said so just last night. More people will be living longer. If we can eliminate Medicaid, then we can in turn eliminate some of that excessive drain on the social security system.

[DemoMemo]

81. Pay Less for Medicaid - Pay More for Iraq

Isn't that what this Administration is really about? Cut the "entitlement" spending, leaving people to fare for themselves and pump gobs of money into military adventures overseas. Even if we weren't pumping so much pointless cash into Iraq, our bloated military budget would keep gobbling up money that should be paying for health care, education, and ensuring that our seniors have some security in their retirement.

[cosmicdot]

83. so, DeLay & Gang are, in a way, pulling the feeding tube

from society's needy ...

where's the outrage from Dobson, Falwell, Robertson, et al?

culture of life ... pffft