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If TX Doesn't Expand Medicaid, Two Million Will Be Without Options
The American Prospect ^ | 29 June 2012 | Abby Rapaport

Posted on 06/30/2012 5:33:56 PM PDT by Lorianne

It's no secret there's a health-care crisis in Texas. The state has the biggest uninsured population in the country with around 6.2 million—or a quarter of all residents—lacking insurance. As a Kaiser Health News report highlighted, poor and uninsured Texans must sometimes wait more than 24 hours in emergency rooms, where treatment is most expensive, while more cost-effective health-care options, like preventative care, are out of reach.

The Affordable Care Act was supposed to change all that. It offered new avenues for health-care coverage to people at all income levels by expanding Medicaid. But yesterday's Supreme Court decision made it optional for states to expand their Medicaid coverage. "There's going to be a donut hole in the middle if a state doesn't proceed," says Edwin Park, vice president for health policy at the D.C.-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In Texas, if the state chooses not to expand its services, almost two million people may be stuck in limbo—without access to Medicaid, but too poor for the subsidies.

First, a little background about the Court's decision: A key element of the ACA was expanding Medicaid to provide insurance for those making up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line; those who make above that amount can receive subsidies to help pay for their insurance. Prior to the ruling, states had little choice but to expand their programs by January 2014; if they did not, they risked losing all their Medicaid dollars. Now, however, the Court has ruled that states can only lose the extra dollars they would get through expansion, meaning they'll keep the Medicaid dollars they're already getting.

(Excerpt) Read more at prospect.org ...


TOPICS: Government; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: healthcare; medicaid; obamacare; texas
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To: Texas Songwriter

I’m not of any political importance...but I will say thank you!


21 posted on 06/30/2012 6:10:09 PM PDT by berdie
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To: Lorianne

I just googled “uninsured in california” and the first hit was from a group called the California Health Care Foundation. It claims California has the most uninsured at 6.9 million or 28%.


22 posted on 06/30/2012 6:12:26 PM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: Sooth2222

I see..the monumental waits at the ER are just being experienced by the poor and uninsured?

Chuckle...Kaiser Health has evidently not been to an ER lately. There is no express lane..for anybody!


23 posted on 06/30/2012 6:13:28 PM PDT by berdie
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To: USNBandit

Interesting. In all the articles I read Texas is given the distinction of the highest uninsured rate. It would make sense that California’s would be higher.


24 posted on 06/30/2012 6:14:38 PM PDT by Lorianne (fedgov, taxporkmoney)
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To: Lorianne

One option is to get your lazy welfare butt to work.


25 posted on 06/30/2012 6:19:27 PM PDT by marygonzo
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To: Sooth2222

..So ironic...Kaiser pulled out of Texas years ago because of the high cost of healthcare operations...


26 posted on 06/30/2012 6:21:04 PM PDT by NorCoGOP (Obama's approval ratings: so low that Kenyans now accuse him of being born in the USA)
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To: USNBandit

“I just googled “uninsured in california” and the first hit was from a group called the California Health Care Foundation. It claims California has the most uninsured at 6.9 million or 28%.”

Hey dingbat, the claim that California has the most uninsured is only operative in California. Here in Texas, we have the most uninsured...when it makes us look bad. No doubt the other 55 states lead the country in something bad regarding health care too.


27 posted on 06/30/2012 6:23:21 PM PDT by BobL
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To: Jane Long

Sorry, typed my response quickly. They are excluded from paying the fine for not having insurance. I’m sure they are not excluded from getting all the free care they can take.

This was from the Americans for Tax reform web site in the Obamacare Individual Mandate Excise Tax section. I assume undocumented immigrants is PC for illegal immigrants.

(Exemptions for religious objectors, undocumented immigrants, prisoners, those earning less than the poverty line, members of Indian tribes, and hardship cases (determined by HHS). Bill: PPACA; Page: 317-337)

Read more: http://www.atr.org/comprehensive-list-obama-tax-increases-a6694#ixzz1zKUy5Z00

Good News - Elizabeth Warren is exempt!


28 posted on 06/30/2012 6:23:57 PM PDT by Kandy Atz ("Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want for bread.")
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To: ilgipper

But I thought the healthcare was free. Viva Obama


29 posted on 06/30/2012 6:25:27 PM PDT by funfan
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To: Lorianne

In Texas at least      Oh the Hugh Manatee

30 posted on 06/30/2012 6:25:47 PM PDT by dennisw
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To: Texas Songwriter

About eight years ago my mother (a single, middle-aged woman) suddenly became very ill. She hadn’t been working at her job long enough to have insurance.

As her illness took it’s toll, she ended up losing her job. She just didn’t have the energy to get to work. She was having ‘panic attacks’ several times a day and her heart would race at over 200 BPM.

I paid to fly her down to move in with us. She was sleeping a ton, hysterical when awake, losing her mind, running a fever... something was terribly wrong.

No insurance. Too young for medicare. Couldn’t get to a dr for tests and a disability diagnosis for medicade because she had no insurance.

I called my family dr (an internal medicine dr) just to ask him for advice.

He told me to bring her in.

Eventually we got help from social services, but - in the meantime - my dr started running tests and got her stabilized.

I will never forget his kindness. His genuine concern for my mom. The look of real worry that he wasn’t going to be able to save her. He ran every test that he could and didn’t say anything about money. He was ready to eat every dime personally to save this woman he didn’t even know.

G-d bless doctors like you and him! On behalf of everyone who didn’t say it, I’ll say it: THANK YOU.

(BTW, it was a thyroid storm complicated by liver failure. This was due to taking handfuls of Tylenol every day for years to self-medicate an old back injury. Yes. We found out that 1,500mg of Tylenol taken every four hours for eight consecutive years will kill a liver. Add that to Grave’s Disease and it nearly did her in. She’s fine now. Disabled and a little slow physically, but plucky!)


31 posted on 06/30/2012 6:29:55 PM PDT by Marie ("The last time Democrats gloated this hard after a health care victory, they lost 60 House seats.")
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To: Lorianne

They can pay their own way or do without!!!

I’m tired of paying taxes to support other people!!!

Make your own way in this world or quit taking up space on the planet!


32 posted on 06/30/2012 6:29:55 PM PDT by dalereed
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To: dennisw

Stop buying ciggies, etoh, lottery tickets, snack foods, cable tv and on and on. Buy you health care. Cry me a river.


33 posted on 06/30/2012 6:30:07 PM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: dennisw

Stop buying ciggies, etoh, lottery tickets, snack foods, cable tv and on and on. Buy your health care. Cry me a river.


34 posted on 06/30/2012 6:30:26 PM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: Positive

I know the payments are terrible. My husband and I are on Medicare, had no choice when we turned 65. I am trying to talk my husband into trying concierge medicine. Doctors have business and employee expenses like any other business and I don’t see how they make it


35 posted on 06/30/2012 6:34:35 PM PDT by pjpblush
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To: Kandy Atz
What fines are they NOT excluded from?!

If illegals were taken off of EVERY welfare roll in TX, imagine the tax $$ that would be saved.

36 posted on 06/30/2012 6:36:32 PM PDT by Jane Long (Soli Deo Gloria!)
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To: Texas Songwriter

Where in this world are those who will do medical care for someone who is willing to work off the bill?

My wife needs a hip replacement and has begged to work off the bill after we pay out of our pocket a sum of money to get the ball rolling. She WANTS to be able to go back to work, but cant till she gets that hip fixed.

Let me know if you got any ideas. Till then, she is disabled.


37 posted on 06/30/2012 6:37:23 PM PDT by crz
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To: Lorianne
If TX Doesn't Expand Medicaid, Two Million illegal aliens Will Be Without Options

Cry me a freaking river.
They can get their free education, get jobs, and then buy their own health care insurance, just like normal working Americans ("Republicans") do.

38 posted on 06/30/2012 6:40:28 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: crz
It is a violation of EMTALA to allow patients to 'work off a bill'. That is the wisdom of your elected representatives. The theory is if you (a physician) will do free work or for barter or for an agreed-upon price the Feds say you cannot charge the Federal Government (Medicare) less than you charge another party. If you do you have violated the law and can be fined $10,000 per claim. So, if my poor neighbor needed her gallbladder out and she has no means of paying and has no insurance, for me to say , "I will do the surgery for nothing" violates EMTALA.

My suggestion to you is to go to an orthopedist, tell him your situation, tell him you will pay the best you can. He will still be required to bill you, but if you have a prior agreement he will give you latitude. The real problem for your situation is being admitted to the hospital for elective surgery. I do not know what their position would be.

39 posted on 06/30/2012 6:47:26 PM PDT by Texas Songwriter (Ia)
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To: crz
It is a violation of EMTALA and/or Medicare law to allow patients to 'work off a bill'. That is the wisdom of your elected representatives. The theory is if you (a physician) will do free work or for barter or for an agreed-upon price the Feds say you cannot charge the Federal Government (Medicare) less than you charge another party. If you do you have violated the law and can be fined $10,000 per claim. So, if my poor neighbor needed her gallbladder out and she has no means of paying and has no insurance, for me to say , "I will do the surgery for nothing" violates EMTALA.

My suggestion to you is to go to an orthopedist, tell him your situation, tell him you will pay the best you can. He will still be required to bill you, but if you have a prior agreement he will give you latitude. The real problem for your situation is being admitted to the hospital for elective surgery. I do not know what their position would be.

40 posted on 06/30/2012 6:48:11 PM PDT by Texas Songwriter (Ia)
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