State Medicaid Chief Weighs In on Health Reform
Though Texas will not expand its Medicaid program, the Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act will put a strain on the state’s finances and health care system, Billy Millwee, the state's outgoing Medicaid chief, said in a panel discussion on Thursday.
Millwee, who currently heads Texas’ Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance programs, spoke Thursday about the ruling’s impact on Texas at a forum hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank. He is among the first senior officials at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to weigh in on ...
Comments (18)
Kim Perry via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This person is a complete moron. Only an idiot would think that.
Tim Ashlock via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The key phrase here is "...in my mind."
Richard Stone via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Graphic demonstration of why you don't give critical government jobs to people who fundamentally hate government.
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
...and apparently also hate people who can't pay for health insurance
Susan Stella Floyd via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Medicate is not what's "enabling" poverty in this country. Sheesh.
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This guy is an idiot.
Clay Boatright via Texas Tribune on Facebook
At the risk of letting facts dampen the anti-Medicaid enthusiasm, it's worth noting that 80% of Medicaid recipients are children under the age of 19 and 60% of Medicaid spending are to support people with disabilities and the elderly. Reducing Medicaid is a great idea, but (and this may sound scary) perhaps we should find some alternatives first BEFORE we throw kids and people with disabilities under the bus.
Jim Hsu via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Complete embarrassment that the state head honcho of Medicaid says some nonsense and offensive remarks like this.
I am sure people are just clamoring to lose assets to drop down to poverty levels just for fun and giggles and so they can drive 100miles to see the only doc who takes Medicaid.
Chalonnes Hoover
The good news is that this guy is retiring--the bad news is that someone just as ignorant and unconcerned about the uninsured in Texas will replace him. Now that Tom Suehs is retiring, he has finally told the truth about the real cost to Texas for implementing the health care law. If these two people who have been in charge of the state's health system say it's "broken," why haven't they fixed it while they have been in their positions?
Rick Perry says health insurance will be provided by expanding private companies. Since he touts all the job growth in Texas, why does our state have the highest percentage of uninsured people? Just another example of illogical political rhetoric from our ignorant governor.
JC DemocratofTejas
Really? Read the papers often Millwee? What puts a strain on Texas' state finances are huge raises to the personal bodyguards of the gov...the State Troopers. Get on down the road. Does overstating cost by 42% mean anything to you? I am so sorry that you are actually the head of Texas' Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance--that is really sad. You have no concept of reality, and frankly, you suck.
audrey fisher
The key question: Who is going to end up paying for the individuals who don't have healthcare insurance? WE DO!
Following the GOP logic, reducing the FED $$$ in TX is great, so funding within the UT Healthcare System will decrease or have to be funded by local citizen's. Will property taxes have to be increased to keep the State Healthcare System that Perry loves to brag about go up!
Listening to anyone who is tied to TPPF / ALEC is following the mantra: Get sick without Healthcare Insurance - Please Die Quickly!
jpt51
Should Rick Perry get his way, and Medicaid is block granted, the money will go to billionaire and campaign contributor Red McCombs for his Formula 1 racetrack or some other 'Turkey' Vulture Capitalist venture.
jpt51
Clay Boatright has it wroing. About a dozen years ago I worked for the agency and 85% of Medicaid funds went to doctors, hospitals and nursing homes. If you want to kick granny out of the nursing home keep electing Republicans.
Juan Reynoso
FREEDOM IS BASE ON TRUST – TRUST IS BASE ON TRUTH
LATINOS FOR HONEST GOVERNMENT
Fellow Americans, The U.S. Supreme court job, is to protect our Constitution not to play politics or force on the American people their political ideology and trash our U.S. Constitution.
America is more than a country, it is freedom and nothing matter but our Constitution. In order to preserve our freedom, We must pledge to make our government more transparent in its actions, careful in its stewardship, and honest in its dealings.
We pledge to uphold the purpose and promise of a better America, knowing that to whom much is given, much is expected and that the blessings of our liberty and the hopes of Americans is not place in jeopardy by greed nor corruption. We make this pledge bearing true faith and allegiance to our country the The Unite States of America, and we invite fellow citizens, permanent residents of our country of all nationalities and our American patriots to join us in forming a new governing agenda for America.
We must strengthen the federal government by redirecting its time, energy and resources toward those objects for which it bears express constitutional responsibility. Our Government is a government of limited and enumerated powers. The power not delegated to the federal government by the written Constitution is reserved to the states or to the people respectively.
We must stop the trashing of our Constitution at all cost.
The Fredom Movement - posted by Juan Reynoso
http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_reli.html
Juan Reynoso
Fellow Texans, the Obama administration is an arrogant and out-of-touch government of self-appointed elites that makes decisions, issues mandates, and enacts laws without the consent of the people or accepting or requesting the input of the people of this United States. Obama the self proclaim unchecked Dictator, with a compliant legislature, and an overreaching judiciary have combined their power to demise our Constitution and thwart the will of the people and overturn their votes and their values, striking down long-standing laws and institutions and scorning the deepest beliefs of the American people. We must defend our Constitution at any cost.
Alice Taylor
Boy, the rats are leaving the sinking ship, aren't they! Every week we hear of another long time Perry appointee deciding now is the time to "retire". I bet precious few of them are sitting back drinking their martini's poolside (because from what I've seen, they're not beer drinkers). What's the bet he's going into the medical lobbying biz?
Rudy Gonzales
Insurance companies, like every other business, is in business to make money. You are not covered. The insurance companies are the one covered with small print full of exceptions, limitations and other liability curbs for the insurance companies themselves. It just like going to the local casino. It doesn't matter what you are insuring, the company is the one protected.
There is no question that Perry’s true interests lie—that being with the extreme right wing of a political party, which refuses to criticize or hold to account its leaders who thumb their noses at the rule of law—the Governor pretty much puts it right out there when suggesting that that the expansion of Medicaid in his state would not result in more affordable care or better patient protection for Texans.
How can Perry logically state the the Medicaid expansion, with the bill to be picked up almost exclusively by Uncle Sam, does not result in more affordable care or better patient protection? That simply makes no sense…not that Rick Perry has ever shown much in the way of concern when it comes to applying common sense. Truth is he can't.
Under the Affordable Care Act, the first three years of the expansion would be 100 percent paid for by the federal government, followed by two years where 95 percent would be covered by the Feds. Thereafter, Texas would only be responsible to pay 10 percent of the cost of Medicaid expansion.
Given that Texas has, to date, operated one of the skimpier Medicaid programs in the nation, the state actually stands to benefit more than any other as a result of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion. However, if Governor Perry has his way, this opportunity will be missed—all to improve his status among the Tea Party elite.
TEA party extremes say they believe in limited government, but push or allow government imposed Sonogram/Ultrasound on women. TEA party extremes say they believe in Free speech, but interrupt loudly at any meeting and have disrupted meetings in the past. TEA party extremes say they believe in the 2nd amendment while taking loaded guns openly displayed to gatherings.
TEA party extremes say they believe in our military, but offer nor retort to people like Jim DeMint of South Carolina, who put a hold on legislation was to be voted on for medical help or assistance to women and children as well as military personnel of Marine Base Camp Lejeune which had their water system contaminated with trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, benzene and vinyl chloride. TEA party extremes say they believe in secure borders and support extremist like the governor and legislature of Arizona who stepped across the line on immigrant legislation issues.
TEA party extremes say they believe in our country, but conspire to execute their fringed views onto the masses without regard to freedoms of others. TEA party extremes say they believe in restricting voter rights going against federal laws. TEA party extremes say they believe Muslims should have no rights in America and have been totally critical of those who do.
TEA party extremes say they believe in free speech but would disallow Mosques built in America. TEA party extremes say they believe in Free speech, but fight the LGBT community. TEA party extremes are bigots, racist and demigods steeped in their own private world much like Adolph Hitler wanted.
Lily Valetta
So these retrograde criminals would pay doctors more under a block grant to Texas Medicaid rather than being rightfully supervised by the Feds? In your dreams.
These characters are running scared. They are frightened that Texans who actually qualify for Medicaid will apply for it.
Educate and enroll. Flood their corrupt system. Then we'll hear them change their tune.