With states and small businesses struggling to define the financial path to implementation of the provisions of healthcare reform, we believe it is unfair to single out states and big businesses by allowing them "waivers." These waivers have long been political carrots for public assistance programs such as Medicaid and Food Stamps. States - with hat in hand - head to DC to beg the bureaucrats to allow them to build programs and solutions that will work in their states. More often than not, … [Read more...]
GAO takes a walk on bogus U.S. books
December 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The GAO has given up on attempting to make accurate financial projections on the books of the United States of America. This unfortunate fact is thanks in large part to actuarial estimates showing Medicare's projected deficit more than $10 trillion higher than CMS and the Medicare board has previously projected. The Obama administration used the Medicare projection of massive savings from a 30 percent reduction in provider rates. These rate reductions were called "implausible" by CMS"s … [Read more...]
Gingrich: An Enormous Victory For Liberty
December 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
(Newt Gingrich) – Monday’s ruling by federal judge Henry Hudson that a key provision in the Obama health care law is unconstitutional is an enormous victory for all Americans who care about liberty. Judge Hudson declared in his 42-page opinion that the law’s requirement for most Americans to obtain health insurance was unconstitutional: “Neither the Supreme Court nor any federal circuit court of appeals has extended Commerce Clause powers to compel an individual to involuntarily … [Read more...]
Opting Out of Medicaid
November 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
By Gregg Phillips Led by Texas Governor Rick Perry, our nation is buzzing with talk about opting out of Medicaid. Broke and without much hope for immediate economic turnaround, states are facing the stark reality that promises made to Medicaid recipients were more than taxpayers could support. We have been telling people for years to just come into our free government healthcare tent and we will protect you. The party is over. Medicaid offers a benefit package that includes … [Read more...]
Analytics in Medicaid
November 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Author, Stephen Baker, wrote a blog post recently offering his opinion on where businesses as a whole believe they are on a scale of 1-10. The blog, http://thenumerati.net/index.cfm?postID=658, says that businesses believe they are at about a 5.5. Baker - a true thought leader on the subject of analytics and the author of the best seller The Numerati - suggests that the real number may be closer to 1.1. In addition, Baker says we are only at the Galileo stage! If Baker is correct then … [Read more...]
New Governors face fiscal mess
October 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
More than 30 states will elect Governors next month. These new Gov's (possibly a few re-elects) will face unprecetented fiscal crises due to the drying up of enhanced Medicaid funding from the Feds and record high unemployment ratest that will linger into mid 2011. These newly minted state CEO's will be forced to spend an inordinate amount of time during their respective transitions dealing with the crushing weight of exploding Medicaid/CHIP enrollment and spending. Critical decisions … [Read more...]
State budgets pressuring Medicaid rates
October 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
It is no secret that state budgets are under pressure. Leaders is Texas have pegged their hole somewhere between $15 and $20 billion. Other states are looking at deficits proportionally larger. With Medicaid commanding larger and larger portions of state's budgets, a substantial portion of any deficit will fall to Medicaid. Rates paid to providers by Medicaid are in jepeordy. Two important differences in coming years as opposed to deficits in the past will be in play. First, Congress … [Read more...]
Obama says Texas must spend more Medicaid money
September 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The Obama administration will soon order Texas to spend billions more on Medicaid and CHIP apparently disregarding a projected deficit of $18 billion over the next three years. The Dallas News story (below) suggests that the administration will use strong arm tactics to ensure Texas' budget crisis will worsen and funding for economic developoment, jobs, education and prisons will recieve draconian cuts. Medicaid and CHIP caseload growth has eclipsed all projections over the … [Read more...]
"Those who expect to reap the benefits of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
