Legislators Gone Wild

While we continue to debate recent events, the Deficit Reduction Act nears its passage. The potential results will be far-reaching.

Amongst these will be substantial cuts to the student loan program, farm subsidies and Medicaid funding.  (The Senate has already approved it.)  Medicaid, for the first time, will have associated premiums and copayments.  Millions will have increased health care costs and it is likely that many will go without, according to a new Congressional Budget Office report.

NYT Link

Over all, the bill is estimated to save $38.8 billion in the next five years and $99.3 billion from 2006 to 2015, with cuts in student loans, crop subsidies and many other programs, the budget office said. Medicaid and Medicare account for half of the savings, 27 percent and 23 percent over 10 years.

So here's an equitable plan.  Funds are needed to keep up the Global War On Terror and they're needed soon.  The deficit continues to grow ever larger.  Hmm, where can we steal, err, borrow some money?  Oh, how about from Medicaid recipients?!!!  They have no discernible voice in government, and even if they do complain who will listen?  And many of them are only kids anyway.

"In response to the new premiums, some beneficiaries would not apply for Medicaid, would leave the program or would become ineligible due to nonpayment," the Congressional Budget Office said in its report, completed Friday night. "C.B.O. estimates that about 45,000 enrollees would lose coverage in fiscal year 2010 and that 65,000 would lose coverage in fiscal year 2015 because of the imposition of premiums. About 60 percent of those losing coverage would be children."

But let's face it, if you had the lack of wisdom to choose poor parents, then you probably fucking deserve this anyway.  Oh, and how about this friendly little provision.

Under the bill, states could end Medicaid coverage for people who failed to pay premiums for 60 days or more. Doctors and hospitals could deny services to Medicaid beneficiaries who did not make the required co-payments.

See, the only potential problem is that Medicaid was intended to assist those most in need.  But that's just ancient history, right?  

And if you fucking poor people still have the audacity to demand health insurance, King George II will have advice forthcoming. (Please bow down!)

In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Mr. Bush plans to recommend a variety of steps to help people obtain health insurance and cope with rising health costs. ...

That ought to provide perhaps several milliseconds of "valuable" information.

Call your congress critter @ 888 355 3588 and register your continuing disgust