California in curious straits

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Better Believe It  (1000+ posts)        Thu Sep-15-11 05:36 PM
Original message
California politicians seeking permission from White House for severe Medi-Cal (Medicaid) cuts. 
 California could pose problem for Obama's healthcare reform
California, a model for healthcare reform, is seeking to impose some of the toughest limits on government-subsidized coverage. If approved, the limits could herald deep Medicaid cuts nationwide.
By Noam N. Levey, Los Angeles Times
September 15, 2011

Though still outpacing much of the nation, cash-strapped California is cutting its healthcare safety net more aggressively than almost any other state, despite billions of dollars in special aid from Washington.

And state leaders are pressing the Obama administration for permission to place some of the toughest limits in the nation on government-subsidized healthcare, including a cap on how often people with Medicaid — the healthcare program for the poorest Americans — can go to the doctor.

California already spends less per beneficiary than any state. It is now seeking waivers from the federal government to impose copays of $5 for office visits and prescriptions, $50 for emergency room visits and $100 for hospital stays. Few other states come close to charging Medicaid recipients that much.

In a case before the U.S. Supreme Court this fall, the administration is backing California's bid to throw out a lawsuit by state medical providers challenging its Medi-Cal cuts.

Please read the full article at:

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-na-california-healthca...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1945333

Golly, it's almost as if giving something away for free encourages people to use it so often that price hikes and rationing are sure to follow.

Who'd've thunk?

I like that last part the lawsuit. It's essentially the doctors demanding court protection to avoid being forced to work for free / at a loss but the state and feds are challenging it. The democrats always have been and always will be the party of slavery even if this time the slaves have 12 years of education.

Only 3 posts so far. I'm waiting to see how long it takes some dildo polisher to blame the entrenched Californian GOP establishment.

[Erasmus]

You can't outrun the rules of economics, lol.  Liberals just won't @!#$ing listen.

[thundley4]

I didn't see anything about California wanting to verify legal citizenship before allowing medicaid.  It doesn't matter, though.  Obama told Illinois that they couldn't check for illegal aliens on medicaid.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Lowest per-patient, perhaps, I'll assume that was fact-checked for the sake of argument.  However, shit-tons of patients in the system compared to anywhere else, thanks to full benefits for illegals and no effective controls on illegals coming in to the State.

[NHSparky]

$5 for office visits and prescriptions, $50 for emergency room visits and $100 for hospital stays.

Waaaaaaah!  You're breaking my friggin heart.  I have insurance which I pay for, and I STILL have co-pays of $20 for PCP, $100 for ER, and up to $500 for hospital.

[Karin]

They're just clucking chickens over there on this thread.  "Isn't that awful!  Terrible!  Tsk Tsk."  Nothing deeper than that, say like root causes. 

[DLR Pyro]

California already spends less per beneficiary than any state. It is now seeking waivers from the federal government to impose copays of $5 for office visits and prescriptions, $50 for emergency room visits and $100 for hospital stays. Few other states come close to charging Medicaid recipients that much.

Of course these copays will be immediatey waived for anyone who is in the Country illegally.

[FreeBorn]

They're just clucking chickens over there on this thread.  "Isn't that awful!  Terrible!  Tsk Tsk."  Nothing deeper than that, say like root causes. 

I wonder how many of those clucking chickens are unionistas.