After Florida Medicaid Reversal, Hints of Compromise in Texas
Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced on Wednesday that he would accept an expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The decision leaves Texas as the last big-state holdout.
In a statement on Wednesday, Gov. Rick Perry reiterated his stance on the expansion, saying it would be “irresponsible to add more Texans and dump more taxpayer dollars into an unsustainable system.”
State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, has a slightly softer stance.
Audio: Ben Philpott's story for KUT News
“I’m opposed to any expansion of Medicaid that doesn’t give Texas the flexibility that we want,” said Nelson ...
Comments (8)
John Johnson
Does anyone know how any procedure is billed under Medicaid when compared to charges billed to those with conventional insurance? Is it fair compensation or is it just not as lucrative for the caregiver as they would like it to be?
Why not have physicians assistants carrying a much heavier share of the load in clinics at a much lower cost, and stouter protection from liability?
Ellen Sweets
how women in in the loon star state can ever vote for the present governor again will go down in texas political history as one its great mysteries. it's hard to get much meaner than denying health care to a substantial portion of the state's population (and the children born to them). it truly boggles the mind.
John Johnson
Another thing...just saw program giving examples of hospital outpatient back surgery where patient was charged $81K, $8K of which was for basic hospital disposables like a ruler, blood sugar test kit, cotton, gauze, blanket, etc.
Another example....a Metronic monitoring device for another patient that was charged at $49K and cost the hosptial $19K.
Why do we allow this sort of gouging? The piece went on to say that the hospitals all basically use the same "code" books to bill at these criminal prices. Who is watching out for the consumer? Answer...no one. Strong lobbys equal bought results.
Michelle James
John Johnson - the hospitals charge ridiculous, inflated amounts to compensate for the uninsured they treat, low reimbursements, and the hits they take from contracts with PPOs and HMOs and other insurance/benefits administrators. It's a practice called cost-shifting and I'm not saying it's right, because a $10 aspirin floors me. It's a vicious circle between insurance, hospitals, consumers, and uninsured costs and is ever-increasing. Medicaid reimbursements are really low, so many providers don't take Medicaid patients. But for those that do, they make their costs up elsewhere. I knew someone who used to be a hospital administrator and she said every month the CEO and/or Board would come to her and say that she needed to find a way to generate $X for the month. Pretty sad, but they're creative in how the generate revenue. And it costs us as taxpayers several times over.
audrey fisher
JJ: many healthcare institutions and physicians have PA's and they do help reduce the time that a physician spends with patient's. It is often not discussed, the same way that Hospitalists, Nurse Practiioners, Nurse Anesthesiologist or never mentioned. All of these positions have increased and do a great job. But, as usual, MD's fought against these improvements for decades in a "turf war" aka dominion over the healthcare provider.
This same battle is now going on in the field of Dentists.
Change may be slow, but when it does occur, it is often understated - which may be ego over reality.
Your last statement is curious: Liability? TX continues to whittle away at liability of MD's - at some point in time - patient's will only be able to take a MD to court - after they prove that they (the patient) are dead and can only argue their own case in court!
John Johnson
Audrey...you're right...the lawsuit thing has swung too far, but we don't want it to swing back where it was.
With regards to hospitals and physicians not liking how much they are reimbursed....let's analyze this a bit. I believe that they simply don't like the fact that they don't get paid as much as they do when tending to patients with conventional insurance?
Is the Medicare/Medicaid remumeration not fair, or is the problem that it is nowhere near as much as they make from those with conventional insurance? It would seem that the rising cost of insurance has to do with doctors and hospitials demanding more from the insurance companies who simply maintain their healthy profit margins and just bump up our premiums each year.
Do you see any hospitals, doctors or insurance companies that are hurting financially? Look at how well the insurance companies perform each year. Look at their profit margins. There is no real competition. That is why the cost for everything associated with medicine has doubled in the last ten years when there is really no reason or justificaton for the increase except greed. IMHO
Dale Curry
When you have elected officials like Senator Nelson pathologically lying about health reform, is it any wonder the Feds are reluctant to give the money in a block grant. The last time the FED gave money ( to education ) in Texas, Perry used it to balance his failed budget. Shaneful!
Ajay Jain
Hello Friends,
Governor Rick Perry millions of under-privileged poor Texans who do not have any Health Coverage will be covered under The Affordable Care ACT (ACA) expansion of MEDICAID!
My Physician wife's practice is partly dependent on MEDICAID and its viability. Please allow the expansion of MEDICAID to occur in Texas under The Affordable Care ACT.
FACT: If states choose to expand Medicaid, the federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs from 2014 to 2016. The feds' contribution will begin to decrease in 2017, but will never be less than 90 percent, under the ACA.
That's why I created a petition to Governor Rick Perry, Texas Governor, The Texas State House, The Texas State Senate, and Governor Rick Perry, which says:
"Please ACCEPT the FREE EXPANSION of MEDICAID under The Affordable Care ACT."
Will you sign this petition? Click here:
http://signon.org/sign/accept-free-expansion?source=c.em.cp&r_by=7268737
Thanks!
Ajay Jain
ajain31@gmail.com
Twitter Handle ajain31
Mobile: 214-207-9781