Thinking seriously about Medicaid withdrawal-Az Rep

The reason to consider Medicaid withdrawal is that Obamacare did not address costs and in fact exploded them.

The proposal by state Sen. Andy Biggs for Arizona to withdraw from Medicaid should be getting more serious attention than it is receiving. Right now, Republicans are voting for it reflexively in committee, as part of the session’s theme of thumbing the nose at the federal government. Democrats and the health care lobby are howling about it, not because they take it seriously, but because, in their minds, it illustrates how wacky Republican lawmakers have become.  Someone, however, needs to start doing some serious thinking about what a state health care program for the poor might look like without Medicaid.

The feds apparently will allow the state to temporarily reduce the Medicaid population as Gov. Jan Brewer has proposed. Whether the reduction will survive a legal challenge remains to be seen.

Regardless, the state faces a Medicaid crunch come 2014. The temporary sales tax will expire in 2013, depriving the state of around $1 billion in revenue. And by 2014, Obamacare requires all states to provide Medicaid coverage to those earning less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level.  (Can you say Government run health care-Socialism)  Arizona currently covers up to 100 percent of the poverty level, one of only seven states to do so. Under Brewer’s proposal that would be reduced to closer to the 34 percent the state covered prior to passage of a ballot proposition in 2000 expanding coverage.

The feds are supposed to pick up most, although not all, of the cost for the expanded population. Nevertheless, Medicaid will continue to be a rapidly increasing expense for the state. Exploring alternatives is prudent. (how about patient involvement in the financial aspects of their care?)

Egyptian Air Force to Tripoli?

Word has it that Khaddafy has consolidated control of Tripoli with mercenaries and the opposition's planned marches today did not materialize. There is concern that the mercenaries may begin to retake cities in the west that fell to the opposition this past week.

Next door, the Egyptian military boasts 500,000+ men under arms with little to do. If this revolutionary moment is to continue, the Libyans must be helped along. Cairo's leadership in the Arab world would be strengthened if it were to seize the day and assist the locals in bringing Moammar down, once and for all.

Looking ahead, the Arab states of North Africa could be reunited under Egyptian leadership. There is already a Maghreb union in place - though dormant - comprised of all the Arab states west of Egypt. The Arabs were divided into many states by the colonial powers when the Ottoman Empire fell. It would be in the interest of all good people to see them reunited through a democratic movement. It would be better still to see this begin in Africa, the most culturally liberal of the Arab states.

Glenn Beck Conspiracy #301

Obama and his Civilian National Security Force are building an army of zombies so they can eradicate capitalism, just like Saddam Hussein tried to do when he attacked us on 9/11.

Is Wisconsin the Great GOP Overreach?

The current events in Wisconsin blow my mind. I agree with most (if not all) on this board - we need to reign in government spending at all levels. I support most of Chris Christie's efforts in New Jersey. However - I consider collective bargaining for one's labor to be a basic human right. An employee must have a voice. I understand the need of states to reduce outlays by reducing hours worked, wages, benefits and work rules. That said, it must be done at the bargaining table. Governors hold a very strong hand in such discussions - just ask New Jersey's public unions.

Has it come to this? Do we tell our teachers and other public servants how it is going to be and their only recourse is to find employment elsewhere? Thanks for their years doing the people's work but we'd rather not have their input? Is this what "freedom" means in the Republican lexicon?

It seems to me that this could be a Gingrichesque overreach. It is grossly unfair and downright un-American. I expect that many wage-earners will make a point of visiting the polls at their next opportunity.

Just wondering

What in or Presidents actions or policies make our Liberal/socialists brethren think that "O" is anything but a authoritarian central planner?

Tom Waits

Only Obama could go to China

Actually is was Nixon, however the point is the same. There is a historic opportunity to address entitlement reform and our budget deficit. Just like the right would have never trusted a Dove to open relations with China, the left would never trust a Conservative to deal with this, the issue of our generation.

Clinton ushered in Welfare reform. Obama could truly deal with the budget and glide to reelection.

Our Liberal brethren are wrong. The Government just spends 140% of what it collects and if we increase taxes, we will just spend 140% of the new amount. We need to reform entitlements, we need to cut spending, we need to be called to the cause by our leader.

His opening tepid salvo is, in all honesty, expected and politically normal. Bush got wacked for being too forward on Social Security. But there is going to come an opportunity for meaningful "change". I "hope" he makes history.

Those adults are in charge and the "O" is of course, very adulty like, you know, punting.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama sent Congress a $3.73 trillion budget Monday that holds out the prospect of eventually bringing deficits under control through spending cuts and tax increases. But the fiscal blueprint largely ignores his own deficit commission's plea to slash huge entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.


Obama called his new budget one of "tough choices and sacrifices," but most of those cuts would be held off until after the end of his first term.

Overall, Obama proposed trimming the deficits by $1.1 trillion over a decade although his changes would actually add to the deficits this year and next. Obama is projecting the deficit will hit an all-time high of $1.65 trillion this year (I'm sure it is GWB fault) and then drop sharply to $1.1 trillion in 2012, with an expected (unrealistic) improvement in the economy and as reductions in Social Security withholding and business taxes expire.

Welcome to the West?

Much has been made these past few weeks of Egypt's civil society and the foundations already in place for a move to democracy. I hope this proves true. Right now, the West needs to do all it can to move Egypt into the fold. Turkey is an excellent model for what Egypt can be in short order. More needs to be done in the West to foster the contagion of secular democracy in the Middle East. It seems that there is a real opportunity for this to spread throughout North Africa (Libya the sole exception) as well as a few spots east of Cairo.

First, I would covertly and overtly offer financial and technical support to Egyptian institutions that will naturally support a secular democracy. Our "in" with the domestically respected military is very helpful to this end. We need to work with the Europeans to consolidate any gains by the forces of reason and moderation.

Second, I would openly recognize the revolutionary nature of these changes. We need to put our soft power to work. We should establish a "Union of Democratic States" within the region, offering free trade with the USA and EU, as well as generous technical assistance and civic support. Turkey would be the sole charter member, with Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq and Lebanon in the wings if all goes well in 2011. Membership in the union - and the benefits of same - would be suspended should non-democratic forces overthrow the civilians.

Finally - this could also solve many problems in Sudan. The nation is coming apart with the (non-Arab) south seceding effective July, 2011. The remaining Arab areas in the north (population 18mm +/-) could logically be absorbed by a democratic Egypt. The borders in Africa are artificial, crafted by the colonists, and unnecessarily divide people that ought to be united (as well as grouping people with disparate languages, traditions and religions ). If the Egyptian border moved south, the Islamist forces in Khartoum would be on the run.

Ironically, Nasser's dream of a unified Arab state could ultimately be realized - by the forces of secular democracy.

Rich's take on the President's approval numbers

Rich I guess you have missed that Obamacare is tracking 58% favor repeal and only 37% oppose it. His personal Presidential approval rating is still -9 and he has given back some of the momentum he picked up in late January. Doesn't look like someone who everyone is happy to see in office like you were saying. Too bad the facts don't drink Obama flavored Kool Aid like you do.

Remember when Terry said that Jefferson was a democrat?

"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude." Thomas Jefferson

AND THE BEAT GOES ON

Ask any House Republican about repealing President Barack Obama’s health care law, and you’ll get the same fiery, self-assured talking points about tearing down what Speaker John Boehner has called a "monstrosity."

But talk to some of the 16 freshman lawmakers who have declined their government health benefits, and you’ll hear a different side of the story — about tough out-of-pocket expenses, pre-existing conditions and support for health reforms that would help those who struggle with their coverage. As they venture into the free market for health insurance, these lawmakers — many of whom swept into office fueled by tea party anger over the health care law — are facing monthly premiums of $1,200 and fears of double-digit rate hikes.

The experience has caused some of them to think harder about the "replace" part of the "repeal and replace" mantra the GOP has adopted regarding the health care law.

"I have a niece who has pre-existing conditions, and I worry about her if she was ever to lose her job," said Florida Rep. Richard Nugent, one of the freshman lawmakers who declined federal health insurance benefits.

Maryland Rep. Andy Harris caused an uproar during freshman orientation when he demanded to know how long it would take for his federal health insurance policy to kick in. Since then, the question of whether lawmakers who ran against the health law should accept their own government benefits has become a favorite game of partisan ping-pong in Washington. Democrats are demanding that the lawmakers who voted to deny reform benefits to the American public turn down their own federal employee health insurance, and Republicans have argued that accepting benefits from the government is not inconsistent with GOP support for employer-based coverage

Our President is truly clueless

Today in a speech before the US Chamber of Congress he implores US businesses to invest their piles of cash to help the economy grow.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110207/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_chamber

However the clueless one fails to mention that to repatriate the majority of the cash on their books, because it is held overseas, these businesses will have to pay a major tax penalty.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/ab7f088a-322e-11e0-a820-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=crm/email/201127/nbe/USBusiness/product#axzz1DG8gbJR4

interesting, from the NEJM

http://healthpolicyandreform.nejm.org/?p=13396&query=TOC

Stupid Conservative Things

Some of the dumbest things conservatives have done in the past few years include:


Meddling in the Terry Schiavo case (intuding in a difficult, private matter)

Meddling in Elian Gonzalez (coming between a father and his child)

and possibly

Seemingly continuing to support a dictator as his country protests for freedom.  Yes, there is the risk that the couunty could come under the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and become another Iran, however, that is what state departments are for.  If we argue that the Iraq war was worth it to bring democracy to the Middle East, then why oppose it when it tries to spread?