NYT/AP: N.H. May Charge Poorest (no income) for Medicaid

[DeepModem Mom]

N.H. May Charge Poorest for Medicaid
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 9, 2005

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- As states struggle to cut Medicaid costs, New Hampshire has proposed going further by making the poorest of the poor -- even families with no income at all -- contribute to their coverage.

No other state has ever gone so far. And even if the idea makes it through the Legislature, New Hampshire is going to need to federal approval.

Under federal law, the very poorest do not have to pay anything for Medicaid coverage. Those making higher amounts pay premiums or other expenses on a sliding scale according to their income.

Under the New Hampshire proposal, families with no income would have to pay $10 a child per month, up to a maximum of $30. Families who have some income but are still in the lowest category would pay as much as $20 a month, for a maximum of $60.

The move would save the state roughly $12 million over the next two years in a nearly $9 billion state budget, or about one-tenth of 1 percent....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Medicaid-Cuts.html


ON EDIT: Adding lead story from today's NYT:

States Propose Sweeping Changes to Trim Medicaid by Billions
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: May 9, 2005

WASHINGTON, May 8 - Governors and state legislators have devised proposals for sweeping changes in Medicaid to curb its rapid growth and save billions of dollars.

Under the proposals, some beneficiaries would have to pay more for care, and states would have more latitude to limit the scope of services.

The proposals, drafted by separate working groups of governors and state legislators, provide guidance to Congress, which 10 days ago endorsed a budget blueprint that would cut projected Medicaid spending by $10 billion over the next five years.

Many of the proposals resemble ideas advanced by President Bush as part of his 2006 budget. In some cases, the governors embrace Mr. Bush's proposals but go further. At the same time, they also reject some of the president's recommendations that they believe would shift costs to the states....

***

A coalition of beneficiary advocates, labor unions and health care providers is already gearing up to fight any significant cutbacks in Medicaid. The coalition includes AARP, Families USA, pediatricians, hospitals and nursing homes....

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/national/09medicaid.html?hp&ex=1115611200&en=78df747bc97cab95&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[leftofcool]

1. really?????????

I wonder where New Hampshire thinks these people with "NO" income will get money to pay.

Left of Cool

[Melodybe]

2. FUCKING REVERSE BUSH'S TAX CUTS! PROBLEM SOLVED!

Damn why doesn't anyone ever fucking say that?

[Cassandra]

3. What part of "no income"...

is New Hampshire not getting?

[Nickster]

5. You're assuming they give a damn.

Remember, the ultimate Republican goal is to kill off any "welfare" programs. If they start charging people that can't pay for it, that's even less people on the program, then it's nice and primed to have its funds cut deeper and deeper until it's eventually gone.

[saigon68]

4. FREEDOM IS ON THE MARCH

FREEDOM TO DIE PENNILESS WITH MOUNTAINS OF DEBT

[Bo]

12. ....and let the eagle soar

[ztn]

6. I read a similar article in the Times this morning

I think the states and governors are right to rebel against exploding costs. But, nobody in the media mentions that fed funds to states has decreased (meaning it's not keeping up with rising costs).

[Debi]

7. If we get rid of services for the poor will the poor just give up

and go away?

Like the problem isn't going to exist if we just get rid of funding for it.

Good God, maybe we need to re-implement debtors Parisian and orphanages as well.

Where the hell is the end of this road?

[Nickster]

8. Let them eat cake is the thinking. We are the only ones who care about

what happens to the poor. They need the money to hand over to corporations.

[Laughing Mirror]

9. The unbearable stinginess of a wealthy country to its poor

When there is no more juice to squeeze from that turnip, squeeze it some more.

A state of a nation that runs through hundreds of billions of dollars a year blowing up and destabilizing other nations is worried about saving 12 million measly fucking worthless dollars over the next two years.

Words fail me.

[unhappycamper]

10. Prior to this, I thought "Live Free or Die" was just rhetoric.

Too bad we can't get L. Paul Bremer to cough up some of the $8,8000,000,000 he 'lost' in Iraq. He could arrange for an anonymous $$$ tranfer from a Cayman Islands bank to Medicaid.

Maybe we need to begin tracking deaths directly attributable to this latest round of budget cuts in social programs.

What a miserable bunch of hypocrites.

[ananda]

11. ermm, how?

How can you charge somebody with little or no income for Medicaid?

Does that mean they have to choose between food and health care?

Sheesh.

Sue

[daleo]

13. Children to be denied health care?

Amazing. When will the United States join the civilized world on this issue?