Easter Sunday. Christians should do the right thing & expand Medicaid coverage for the poor.

[AU9377 4,975]

1 hour ago, auburnatl1 said:

This isn’t a Christian thing. It’s a money thing. We simply can’t afford it. And the problem is accelerating. If we didn’t have the current debt we could afford Medicare for all and even throw in giving the poor Maserati’s and a week in Cabo.  Until we start having real conversations about attacking the debt and a “can we afford it” mentality - this is all…whimsical.

We have already decided, as a country, that we won't allow people to die in the streets from illnesses that can be treated.  The way we do it is just the most backwards counterproductive way imaginable.  We force people to use the ER as their primary care provider.  Once someone is seriously ill, they are eligible for Medicaid.  If they had been able to receive basic health care, many of those costly conditions could have been avoided.  Instead of providing someone with blood pressure pills, we wait until they have a heart attack and pay for their month long hospital stay.    That is part of the reason that our spending per person is so outrageous. 

That isn't the only reason.  We have allowed providers and big pharma to rape and pillage U.S. taxpayers for decades. 

As shown in the medicaid expansion map below, only a handful of states remain.  They, like North Carolina last year, will come to their senses at some point.  The only people suffering from their refusal are the people they claim to represent.

Edited April 2 by AU9377

[AU9377 4,975]

1 hour ago, auburnatl1 said:

This isn’t a Christian thing. It’s a money thing. We simply can’t afford it. And the problem is accelerating. If we didn’t have the current debt we could afford Medicare for all and even throw in giving the poor Maserati’s and a week in Cabo.  Until we start having real conversations about attacking the debt and a “can we afford it” mentality - this is all…whimsical.

You are talking about universal coverage with the affordability argument.  I am simply talking about Medicaid expansion, which all but 8 or 9 states have already adopted.

We are so dug in by special interests and their desire to protect their cash cows that we actually have to debate in Congress over how many drugs the government can negotiate the price on. 

Edited April 2 by AU9377

[auburnatl1 4,971]

2 minutes ago, AU9377 said:

You are talking about universal coverage with the affordability argument.  I am simply talking about Medicaid expansion, which all but 8 or 9 states have already adopted.

Got it.

[Gowebb11 9,334]

Can we not afford the things being discussed, or could we afford them with better spending choices?

[auburnatl1 4,971]

6 minutes ago, AU9377 said:

We have already decided, as a country, that we won't allow people to die in the streets from illnesses that can be treated.  The way we do it is just the most backwards counterproductive way imaginable.  We force people to use the ER as their primary care provider.  Once someone is seriously ill, they are eligible for Medicaid.  If they had been able to receive basic health care, many of those costly conditions could have been avoided.  Instead of providing someone with blood pressure pills, we wait until they have a heart attack and pay for their month long hospital stay.    That is part of the reason that our spending per person is so outrageous. 

That isn't the only reason.  We have allowed providers and big pharma to rape and pillage U.S. taxpayers for decades. 

As shown in the medicaid expansion map below, only a handful of states remain.  They, like North Carolina last year, will come to their senses at some point.  The only people suffering from their refusal are the people they claim to represent.

While I agree the patent system needs to be restructured, I always get nervous when people vilify an industry. US pharma innovates (which means speculative investment) more new medicines faster than the rest of the planet combined. So while I understand the resentment about affordability, just be mindful about breaking more things you fix.  US pharma (and medicine is general) is the worlds flagship .

[AU9377 4,975]

16 minutes ago, auburnatl1 said:

While I agree the patent system needs to be restructured, I always get nervous when people vilify an industry. US pharma innovates (which means speculative investment) more new medicines faster than the rest of the planet combined. So while I understand the resentment about affordability, just be mindful about breaking more things you fix.  US pharma (and medicine is general) is the worlds flagship .

I understand that and I am mindful of that, but they also get paid royally for the development of many of the same life saving medications that they then collect from the government on again when developed.  There is nothing wrong with the industry profiting and profiting well, but what we are seeing are profit margins that could never be realized without taxpayer money.

I'm skeptical when the products developed are being sold for a fraction of the cost in other countries, while Americans struggle to find a way.

Edited April 2 by AU9377

[AU9377 4,975]

23 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

Can we not afford the things being discussed, or could we afford them with better spending choices?

This is a great point.  The current system, in large part, doesn't question the price.  In the area of durable medical equipment, for example, the price is often set and not allowed by policy to be reduced.  That provides a cash cow for a select few companies.

[DKW 86 7,428]

I think we could easily do it. I'll provide some numbers later. 

But Brother, it is cosmically evil when an elderly person has to decide between her copay and her meds. I have a friend right now that has been off Eliquis for 14 months because they cannot afford it. iIs either he has Eliquis or they can see the grandkids, take an occasional trip, etc. I worked with good honest hard working Judeao-Christian Work Ethic people that had the gall to get sick late in life and learn that all they saved was gone in an instant. "Get Sick, File Bankruptcy" is their sick joke-take on their lives. One lady at church got cancer. For her decades of working a great job in the auto industry she left her family about $1500 in furniture and rent on a 500 sq ft house. 

THIS MUST END.

Edited April 2 by DKW 86

[homersapien 11,389]

1 hour ago, Gowebb11 said:

Can we not afford the things being discussed, or could we afford them with better spending choices?

I'd say policy choices, instead of spending per se'.  As AU9377's post showed, we are spending twice as much as peer country's spending on healthcare, generally with poorer outcomes. 

Edited April 2 by homersapien

[Gowebb11 9,334]

20 minutes ago, homersapien said:

I'd say policy choices, instead of spending per se'.  As AU9377's post showed, we are spending twice as much as peer country's spending on healthcare, generally with poorer outcomes. 

You’re correct in that. We have terrible ROI in the healthcare space. 

[Auburn85 432]

Since Alabama is dragging its feet on passing a combo of a lottery and casino bill, they should just pass a lottery for now. Use the lottery revenue to expand Medicaid.

[Mims44 1,872]

On 3/31/2024 at 10:22 AM, AU9377 said:

There is no greater biblical directive than for Christians to love their brothers and sisters and care for them.  Even so, we continue to allow politicians in the deep South to block efforts to expand coverage for those that need it most.   Instead of accepting matching Federal funds, we reject those funds for no real reason, other than stubborn politics. 

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/georgia-medicaid-expansion-bill-fails/85-18f93ea1-e878-4e62-93c9-0e3f84d4c0e2

I am a bit confused.... everyone in TN is covered by TennCare Which is medicaid....

We care for poverty stricken/unemployed people constantly. For anything and everything they have.

 

 

If anything I would say there is more need to help those that are lower middle class, as they are paying for their own insurance and usually 1 major medical issue away from financial ruin.

[CoffeeTiger 5,133]

9 hours ago, Mims44 said:

I am a bit confused.... everyone in TN is covered by TennCare Which is medicaid....

We care for poverty stricken/unemployed people constantly. For anything and everything they have.

 

 

If anything I would say there is more need to help those that are lower middle class, as they are paying for their own insurance and usually 1 major medical issue away from financial ruin.

TennCare is just a standard Medicaid program that every state has. Tennessee just gave it a fancy name. 

Ironically, the Medicaid expansion being talked about here that Tennessee and many other Southern states have rejected would help those lower middle, upper low class people you're talking about needing help. 

Medicaid expansion is additional funding from the federal government to increase the eligibility roof of Medicaid benefits to help give healthcare coverage to those people who make too much money for Medicaid benefits, and low cost ACA benefits, but still don't make enough to afford decent insurance themselves.

 

 

But overall, yes, the ultimate goal would be to reform the US healthcare system so that everyone doesn't depend so heavily on insurance subsudized by their employer, and where a major medical problem can't plunge anyone into financial ruin for the rest of their lives. 

[AU9377 4,975]

12 hours ago, Mims44 said:

I am a bit confused.... everyone in TN is covered by TennCare Which is medicaid....

We care for poverty stricken/unemployed people constantly. For anything and everything they have.

 

 

If anything I would say there is more need to help those that are lower middle class, as they are paying for their own insurance and usually 1 major medical issue away from financial ruin.

They are cared for once they become seriously ill or pregnant. Children are also covered. Until they become seriously ill, they have no coverage, forcing them into emergency rooms for any basic health care they may need.  That results in unpaid bills and collection efforts.

I totally agree that there is even more of a need to help those that you mentioned.  The problem right now is that the lower middle class often goes without insurance coverage because they can't afford it. 

Edited April 8 by AU9377

[Mims44 1,872]

4 hours ago, CoffeeTiger said:

TennCare is just a standard Medicaid program that every state has. Tennessee just gave it a fancy name. 

Ironically, the Medicaid expansion being talked about here that Tennessee and many other Southern states have rejected would help those lower middle, upper low class people you're talking about needing help. 

Medicaid expansion is additional funding from the federal government to increase the eligibility roof of Medicaid benefits to help give healthcare coverage to those people who make too much money for Medicaid benefits, and low cost ACA benefits, but still don't make enough to afford decent insurance themselves.

 

 

But overall, yes, the ultimate goal would be to reform the US healthcare system so that everyone doesn't depend so heavily on insurance subsudized by their employer, and where a major medical problem can't plunge anyone into financial ruin for the rest of their lives. 

Ok, that makes a lot more sense.

I read it as TN being a state that rejected medicaid and found it confusing  

I agree there needs to either be a large grace period or just raise the whole thing. Lotta people I've known sit near the top end of it, and if they get a 2k/year raise they could move into having to pay 6k+/year in insurance. It's a rough spot to be in.