Democrats reject changes to Medicaid

[OhioChick]

By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 12 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - States should be given more freedom to enroll the poorest of the poor into managed care programs and adopt changes that have worked elsewhere, a Medicaid reform panel recommended Friday.

However, Democratic lawmakers have contended that the panel, formed nearly 18 months ago by the Bush administration, has lacked independence. Now that the Democrats control Congress, some analysts are predicting the group's recommendations will be "dead on arrival."

"While some in Congress thought this effort would bear fruit, I see no proof of that in this report," said Rep. John Dingell (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich. "It is the job of the Congress to review the Medicaid program and legislate necessary changes, not a hand-picked commission stacked against working families."

And Sen. Max Baucus (news, bio, voting record), D-Mont., who will soon oversee the Senate Finance Committee, said he was disappointed: "Many of its recommendations will undermine federal oversight of the program and reduce the likelihood that the most vulnerable Americans will get the comprehensive health care they need."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061117/ap_on_he_me/medicaid_savings

[xchrom]

1. any changes that bushco has made so far has

hurt people -- i wouldn't take their recommendatons either.

[nickyt]

2. absofreegin'lutely. Run - don't walk - away, and don't look back.

[xchrom]

4. it's the only way -- they have to go back and fix medicare to boot.

[Wiley50]

3. I'm On Medicaid

But for Three and a half years I fought for my disability
I wasn't
As far as I know they can't take it away
A Judge gave it to me

But they are sure not making it easy:

Every time my doctor changes my medicine
even to change the dosage of the same medicine

They demand a prior approval to get it filled

This time I've been off my meds for 11 days

waiting

It ain't all that, folks

[nickyt]

5. Wiley, no argument the whole system is a cruel mess. It always seems

to take at least 2 years to get help, and that is just sickening. I have a friend on Medicare who just hit the "doughnut hole" - she and many others, just in time for the holiday season.
Please hang in there, and call every single resource # you can find - there are many little groups who help people with their scripts. I am so sorry for your troubles, and hope recent elections will address them with all due haste.

[Maddy McCall]

8. PPA and other groups won't help medicaid recipients.

A student of mine was being treated for depression after having a baby. She was on Medicaid. She dropped out of school because of depression. Medicaid would not approve the only medication that had worked for her (she had been given a month's worth of samples through the clinic, but it was a med in high demand, so it was iffy if she could get samples or not). She tried to get her medicine through PPA, but because she's on Medicaid, they refused her.

She hit a dead end every way she turned. I don't know what became of her. I stayed in contact with her until she just quit responding to my emails.

:(

[w4rma]

7. It's Bush's changes that are being rejected.

Not future changes.

[williesgirl]

6. k&r

[undergroundpanther]

9. I wish they'd bring back the medicare

That was in the 90's even. Back than medicare covered more, it was much easier to use. It covered more things it was more like an actual insurance, Because back than some people still had real insurance not HMO's. When HMOS came on the scene with the republicans grabby thievery that's when healthcare got all shitty it all began to crumble with the bullshit piece of shit reagan and his trickle down ideas that is a thinly disguised way of saying piss on the poor,. I hate him I am glad he's in a grave where he can't hurt anyone anymore. I hate the "kill the poor" republicans all of them their"values" are EVIL.. I hope one day they experience poverty with no way out. I hope someday their wealth is confiscated and given to the people and their beliefs laughed at as sociopathic and anti humane.And republican would kill themselves when they realize they have lost and will lose forever because people do not want their county to be psychopath society run like a corporation.
Republican's are evil. liars parasites thieves and exploiters never to be trusted you cannot compromise with psychopaths.They will screw you to win and get what they want.Republicans rot the american spirit.Kill the american dream. I hate the R tyrants.

[jwirr]

10. What we really need instead of patches is a Single Payer

Universal Health Care Bill that replaces all this junk by consolidating all existing health programs under one umbrella and then bringing small businesses and the uninsured under the plan. Large businesses and corporations should either provide their own or join the government one.

I do not think we can ever fix the many different programs we have. Take the best one and work the build on that. I think John Kerry and several others have suggested we use the Congress Health Program as the basis.