Lost in the collective bargaining uproar: Medicaid programs also a casualty of last night's surprise

[WI_DEM]

Once again, Medicaid seems forgotten as another wave of protests and media stories rocks the Capitol. Last night's surprise vote by GOP lawmakers pushing a pared down version of the so-called budget repair bill through a hastily convened conference meeting and a rapid approval by the Senate to what now seems to be almost definite passage as early as this morning impacts not just collective bargaining rights in the state, but the health care and benefits of nearly 1.2 million Wisconsin residents in the public health programs.
But you'd never know it.

Once again, virtually all of the news coverage and outrage has focused on how the measure acted on last night would strip away decades of collective bargaining rights from tens of thousands of state workers. That is huge, of course, but advocates for the one out of every five state residents on Medicaid say that the impact of them is huge as well.

I spoke to several advocates and analysts about what got passed last night, and they said that the language of the measure---which many of them had only received after the vote--- was so complex and confusing that aspects of it baffled them. Still, it appeared that the parts of the original legislation that had most concerned them were indeed part of the package approved last night.

These include provisions handing what would amount to unilateral authority to revamp and even gut the Medicaid programs, including changes in eligibility standards and benefits, to the state health department. For years, such changes have needed to go through a legislative process involving hearings and public input.

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/health_med_fit/vital_signs/article_b73d5b68-4b2e-11e0-be9f-001cc4c03286.html

[Uncle Joe]

1. Kicked and recommended, those are Republican values at work.

Thanks for the thread WI_DEM.

[Aerows]

K & R

This sucks! :kick:

[highplainsdem]

3. Republican values, and model legislation from ALEC, the American Legislative

Exchange Council:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x591230

They're behind the rightwing legislative blitz across the country, which is happening in so many state legislatures at once.

[HereSince1628]

2. Yes it was an enabling act, 3 generations removed from this one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enabling_Act_of_1933.

Of course, even THAT bad one was proposed for the good of the people. To facilitate efficient government and to KILL UNIONS.

[felix_numinous]

4. Yes it is a total screwing

shut up and die, that is the clear message here, and I think people get that totally.

[PA Democrat]

5. K & R.

Will Walker and his crew try to portray Medicaid recipients as greedy as well? These people disgust me.

[EC]

6. I would think that anything having to do with

Medicaid and Badgercare would have to be considered financial business, wouldn't it? That would null the whole bill, since it would need a bigger quorum.