[4alabama] "Medicaid Not a Giveaway" - Roger Bedford

[Judy R. Roy]

Sunday, January 27, 2008
ROGER BEDFORD
A few days ago, many legislative and health care leaders were disappointed
when Gov. Bob Riley's Medicaid commissioner announced a Medicaid budget
shortfall for the upcoming year of almost $500 million.

Even worse, the commissioner brought forth no solutions to protect
Alabamians other than proposing $6 million in cuts that would include
eliminating cough medicine for adults on Medicaid, eliminating prostheses
for our disabled and reducing the number of new, improved medicines
available for Medicaid recipients - medicines that everyone agrees help
reduce the cost of Medicaid because they reduce the need for emergency room
and hospital visits and other more expensive services.

Not a giveaway program:


Unlike some of our political leaders, when it comes to Medicaid health care
services, Alabamians get it. They understand that this program is critical
to keeping Alabama healthy and our economy strong. They understand that
Medicaid is not a giveaway program. They understand Medicaid provides a
health care safety net for more than 1 million Alabamians who are working
but cannot afford health insurance

The statistics support the people. More than 60 percent of Medicaid
recipients are white. A majority are female. More than 90 percent of
Alabamians who depend on nursing homes for their existence do so because of
Medicaid. Medicaid provides the health care needs of more than half of the
babies born in Alabama. Your neighbors, family members or friends who have
disabilities most likely would not have health care without Medicaid.

Yet, Alabama Medicaid health care services are among the most under-funded
and inadequate in the United States. We do less for those who depend on
these services than almost any other state. Even Mississippi does more.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation Commission, an adult in Alabama
who earns slightly more than $4,000 per year does not qualify for Medicaid
services. Income eligibility requirements for Medicaid services in Alabama
are more punitive than any other state in the Southeast. For those who do
qualify, Alabama does not offer podiatry services, dental services,
occupational and physical therapy services, dentures, hearing aids or
community-based, long-term care services. Alabama doesn't provide diagnostic
screening and preventive services, which, ironically, would reduce the
overall cost of Medicaid.

In Matthew 25, Jesus said, "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for
me.'" If Jesus were here in the flesh with us today, what would he think
about what we do for those in need of the most basic necessities of life?

For more than three months, legislative and health care leaders have been
calling on Gov. Bob Riley's administration to reveal the shortfall in
funding it expects for the Medicaid health care program. We hoped he would
share our priority of protecting Medicaid health care services. Our concern
that deep cuts in Medicaid services might be proposed were heightened when
the governor's Medicaid commissioner refused to confirm what she had told
the media that estimated a shortfall of almost $500 million. Our hope has
always been to work together with the Riley administration to ensure that
Medicaid health care services were not cut and, in fact, long-term funding
would be found to provide critical health care to "the least of these
brothers of mine."

We hope that in the next four weeks, Riley will personally get involved in
this issue and come forward with recommendations that will protect current
Medicaid programs and increase basic services so that Alabamians receive the
same level of care as our neighbors in Mississippi. That is not asking too
much.

In addition to the human suffering that will result from cuts to Medicaid,
the effects to our state economy will also be severe. Taking a half-billion
dollars out of our state economy may create the tipping point that results
in Alabama joining other parts of the nation entering a recession. It is
hard to overstate the economic impact Medicaid health care services have on
our economy, whether you live in Birmingham or Bridgeport or Bayou La Batre.

Such a steep cut for doctors, nurses, hospitals, nursing homes, home health
care providers, hospice programs, pharmacists, patient advocacy groups and
other needed services will result in the loss of tens of thousands of jobs
and more than $1 billion of stimulus to our economy.

No answer at all:


The answer is that cutting Medicaid health care services proposed by the
Riley administration is no answer at all. With or without leadership and
support from Riley, we cannot allow these services to be cut or eliminated.
Funding answers must be found.

Now that legislative and health care leaders understand the expected
shortfall, we must all work together to prevent a train wreck that will be
devastating to the health of our people and our economy. State Sen. Roger
Bedford is chairman of the Senate General Fund Budget Committee. E-mail:
senbedford at aol.com.



© 2008 The Birmingham News
© 2008 al.com All Rights Reserved.
Judy R. Roy
Independent Living Resources of Greater Birmingham
206  13th Street S.
Birmingham, AL  35233-1317
Phone  205.251.2223  ext 102
Email  bhamilc1 at bellsouth.net
There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been
caregivers; those who are currently caregivers; those who will be
caregivers; those who will need caregivers. - Rosalynn Carter
-------------- next part --------------
Sunday, January 27, 2008
ROGER BEDFORD
A
few days ago, many legislative and health care leaders were disappointed when Gov. Bob Riley's Medicaid commissioner announced a Medicaid budget shortfall for the upcoming year of almost $500 million.
Even worse, the commissioner brought forth no solutions to protect Alabamians other than proposing $6 million in cuts that would include eliminating cough medicine for adults on Medicaid, eliminating prostheses for our disabled and reducing the number of new, improved medicines available for Medicaid recipients - medicines that everyone agrees help reduce the cost of Medicaid because they reduce the need for emergency room and hospital visits and other more expensive services.
Not a giveaway program:
Unlike some of our political leaders, when it comes to Medicaid health care services, Alabamians get it. They understand that this program is critical to keeping Alabama healthy and our economy strong. They understand that Medicaid is not a giveaway program. They understand Medicaid provides a health care safety net for more than 1 million Alabamians who are working but cannot afford health insurance
The statistics support the people. More than 60 percent of Medicaid recipients are white. A majority are female. More than 90 percent of Alabamians who depend on nursing homes for their existence do so because of Medicaid. Medicaid provides the health care needs of more than half of the babies born in Alabama. Your neighbors, family members or friends who have disabilities most likely would not have health care without Medicaid.
Yet, Alabama Medicaid health care services are among the most under-funded and inadequate in the United States. We do less for those who depend on these services than almost any other state. Even Mississippi does more.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation Commission, an adult in Alabama who earns slightly more than $4,000 per year does not qualify for Medicaid services. Income eligibility requirements for Medicaid services in Alabama are more punitive than any other state in the Southeast. For those who do qualify, Alabama does not offer podiatry services, dental services, occupational and physical therapy services, dentures, hearing aids or community-based, long-term care services. Alabama doesn't provide diagnostic screening and preventive services, which, ironically, would reduce the overall cost of Medicaid.
In Matthew 25, Jesus said, "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" If Jesus were here in the flesh with us today, what would he think about what we do for those in need of the most basic necessities of life?
For more than three months, legislative and health care leaders have been calling on Gov. Bob Riley's administration to reveal the shortfall in funding it expects for the Medicaid health care program. We hoped he would share our priority of protecting Medicaid health care services. Our concern that deep cuts in Medicaid services might be proposed were heightened when the governor's Medicaid commissioner refused to confirm what she had told the media that estimated a shortfall of almost $500 million. Our hope has always been to work together with the Riley administration to ensure that Medicaid health care services were not cut and, in fact, long-term funding would be found to provide critical health care to "the least of these brothers of mine."
We hope that in the next four weeks, Riley will personally get involved in this issue and come forward with recommendations that will protect current Medicaid programs and increase basic services so that Alabamians receive the same level of care as our neighbors in Mississippi. That is not asking too much.
In addition to the human suffering that will result from cuts to Medicaid, the effects to our state economy will also be severe. Taking a half-billion dollars out of our state economy may create the tipping point that results in Alabama joining other parts of the nation entering a recession. It is hard to overstate the economic impact Medicaid health care services have on our economy, whether you live in Birmingham or Bridgeport or Bayou La Batre.
Such a steep cut for doctors, nurses, hospitals, nursing homes, home health care providers, hospice programs, pharmacists, patient advocacy groups and other needed services will result in the loss of tens of thousands of jobs and more than $1 billion of stimulus to our economy.
No answer at all:
The answer is that cutting Medicaid health care services proposed by the Riley administration is no answer at all. With or without leadership and support from Riley, we cannot allow these services to be cut or eliminated. Funding answers must be found.
Now that legislative and health care leaders understand the expected shortfall, we must all work together to prevent a train wreck that will be devastating to the health of our people and our economy. State Sen. Roger Bedford is chairman of the Senate General Fund Budget Committee. E-mail: senbedford at aol.com.
© 2008 The Birmingham News
© 2008 al.com All Rights Reserved.
Judy R. Roy
Independent Living Resources of Greater Birmingham
206  13th Street S.
Birmingham, AL  35233-1317
Phone  205.251.2223  ext 102
Email  bhamilc1 at bellsouth.net
There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers; those who are currently caregivers; those who will be caregivers; those who will need caregivers. - Rosalynn Carter