CSNbbs

I don't guess Dr. Dr. Gov. Bentley will be happy until every hospital in the state is out of business.

I saw a question posted below the article:

"UAB gets about 67 cents on every patient dollar spent on Medicaid." So, the left's answer is to expand Medicaid to get MORE patients on it so hospitals can lose even MORE money?"

Take out the "left" here. Forget the political side.
If the hospital is losing 33¢ on every dollar as it is, how can adding more patients be helpful to UAB – or any hospital? Isn't the hole just getting bigger?

The USG offered the state a deal - Alabama puts up $1B toward medicaid and the USG matches it with $18B.

It was Obamacare, the devil, so that deal was turned down.

I have yet to figure out how anyone turns that deal down, politics be damned. It's right up there with "We don't want the Feds telling us what to do, we're not going to set up a state health care exchange", so instead the people from Alabama who are looking for insurance under the ACA have to use the national exchange, where indeed, Federal bureaucrats who don't know the Alabama insurance market as well as the local people do offer insurance programs.

Most of it does not make sense, and won't for four or five years until the get the worst of the bugs out.

I'm no ideologue, but the devil of Obamacare - as with any other new federal program - is that once that hook is set, it never comes out...regardless of whether the future direction of the program is in the state's best interest. I'm not against accepting federal $$, per se, but not when leveraged like that.

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(05-01-2014 01:21 PM)BlazerFire Wrote: [ -> ]I saw a question posted below the article:

"UAB gets about 67 cents on every patient dollar spent on Medicaid." So, the left's answer is to expand Medicaid to get MORE patients on it so hospitals can lose even MORE money?"

Take out the "left" here. Forget the political side.
If the hospital is losing 33¢ on every dollar as it is, how can adding more patients be helpful to UAB – or any hospital? Isn't the hole just getting bigger?

Because the hole is the lack of new Medicaid dollars.

Medicare spending was reduced with the assumption that Medicaid would be expanded. The Medicaid expansion that the Dr. Dr. Gov. has turned down would fill that 33 cent hole.

In 2016 Alabama medcaid will look completely different. It will go from fee for service to capitated managed care based on geographic regions. Frankly until they get the details worked out I wouldn't expand it either. The process is complex enough without adding an additional layer of federal guidelines that are attached to the money

(05-01-2014 02:21 PM)biglizard Wrote: [ -> ]In 2016 Alabama medcaid will look completely different. It will go from fee for service to capitated managed care based on geographic regions. Frankly until they get the details worked out I wouldn't expand it either. The process is complex enough without adding an additional layer of federal guidelines that are attached to the money

Yeah, I mean, what does it matter that it puts the largest and most important hospital in the state in financial trouble.

(05-01-2014 03:15 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-01-2014 02:21 PM)biglizard Wrote: [ -> ]In 2016 Alabama medcaid will look completely different. It will go from fee for service to capitated managed care based on geographic regions. Frankly until they get the details worked out I wouldn't expand it either. The process is complex enough without adding an additional layer of federal guidelines that are attached to the money

Yeah, I mean, what does it matter that it puts the largest and most important hospital in the state in financial trouble.

Easy fix: stop taking medicaid

(05-01-2014 06:20 PM)dfarr Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-01-2014 03:15 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-01-2014 02:21 PM)biglizard Wrote: [ -> ]In 2016 Alabama medcaid will look completely different. It will go from fee for service to capitated managed care based on geographic regions. Frankly until they get the details worked out I wouldn't expand it either. The process is complex enough without adding an additional layer of federal guidelines that are attached to the money

Yeah, I mean, what does it matter that it puts the largest and most important hospital in the state in financial trouble.

Easy fix: stop taking medicaid

To quote Mr. Popper, "The hook brings you back..."

(05-01-2014 06:20 PM)dfarr Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-01-2014 03:15 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-01-2014 02:21 PM)biglizard Wrote: [ -> ]In 2016 Alabama medcaid will look completely different. It will go from fee for service to capitated managed care based on geographic regions. Frankly until they get the details worked out I wouldn't expand it either. The process is complex enough without adding an additional layer of federal guidelines that are attached to the money

Yeah, I mean, what does it matter that it puts the largest and most important hospital in the state in financial trouble.

Easy fix: stop taking medicaid

Can a public hospital do that?

(05-01-2014 06:49 PM)TPBlaze84 Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-01-2014 06:20 PM)dfarr Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-01-2014 03:15 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-01-2014 02:21 PM)biglizard Wrote: [ -> ]In 2016 Alabama medcaid will look completely different. It will go from fee for service to capitated managed care based on geographic regions. Frankly until they get the details worked out I wouldn't expand it either. The process is complex enough without adding an additional layer of federal guidelines that are attached to the money

Yeah, I mean, what does it matter that it puts the largest and most important hospital in the state in financial trouble.

Easy fix: stop taking medicaid

Can a public hospital do that?

Probably not

Go Blazers.

Oops sorry wrong forum.

(05-01-2014 06:20 PM)dfarr Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-01-2014 03:15 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-01-2014 02:21 PM)biglizard Wrote: [ -> ]In 2016 Alabama medcaid will look completely different. It will go from fee for service to capitated managed care based on geographic regions. Frankly until they get the details worked out I wouldn't expand it either. The process is complex enough without adding an additional layer of federal guidelines that are attached to the money

Yeah, I mean, what does it matter that it puts the largest and most important hospital in the state in financial trouble.

Easy fix: stop taking medicaid

The problem isn't that they're taking medicaid, it's that there's not enough medicaid patients. The math behind the ACA was supposed to be that everyone would be covered, so Medicare wouldn't have to subsidize a lot of the uncompensated care.

(05-01-2014 07:03 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: [ -> ]Go Blazers.

Oops sorry wrong forum.

This is the crab legs forum.

Let's just kill everybody that can't pay for healthcare out of pocket and sell their organs. That'll fix the problem.

For Pete's sake, the states not cooperating with the Federal government on healthcare are moronic. This isn't the 1900's, this is 2014 and we're gonna have to accept some sort of national health structure, and the next elected government will have to modify it. Hopefully something short of what I just outline above.

Remember that the Alabama legislature has led the nation in cutting per pupil funding for ALL levels of public schools (K- Grad school) since 2008 - almost $1,400 - the largest cuts of all 50 states and we were already among the bottom 10 nationally. Part of the UAB problem - Medicaid - is only a partial issue in what was already a desperate funding situation for the whole school.

I don't know how things are going in political races in other states, but in Alabama the Republicans are all running on a platform of repealing the Affordable Care Act and whether their race is Congress or a state level post, they are ONLY campaigning against the President - and he's not even on the Alabama ballot. If not for the ACA, they would really have to say what they really intend to do if elected.

If this is the way Republicans are campaigning in other states, it is no wonder the sign up numbers for the ACA have lagged. Who wants to put their healthcare eggs all in a basket they are told will be destroyed as soon as the new Congress gets the chance.

"November Rain"

When I look into your eyes
I can see a love restrained
But darlin' when I hold you
Don't you know I feel the same

'Cause nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November rain

We've been through this such a long long time
Just tryin' to kill the pain

But lovers always come and lovers always go
An no one's really sure who's lettin' go today
Walking away

If we could take the time
to lay it on the line
I could rest my head
Just knowin' that you were mine
All mine
So if you want to love me
then darlin' don't refrain
Or I'll just end up walkin'
In the cold November rain

Do you need some time...on your own
Do you need some time...all alone
Everybody needs some time... on their own
Don't you know you need some time...all alone

I know it's hard to keep an open heart
When even friends seem out to harm you
But if you could heal a broken heart
Wouldn't time be out to charm you

Sometimes I need some time...on my own
Sometimes I need some time...all alone
Everybody needs some time... on their own
Don't you know you need some time...all alone

And when your fears subside
And shadows still remain
I know that you can love me
When there's no one left to blame
So never mind the darkness
We still can find a way
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
Even cold November rain

Don't ya think that you need somebody
Don't ya think that you need someone
Everybody needs somebody
You're not the only one
You're not the only one

(05-01-2014 07:44 PM)GreenMississippi Wrote: [ -> ]Let's just kill everybody that can't pay for healthcare out of pocket and sell their organs. That'll fix the problem.

For Pete's sake, the states not cooperating with the Federal government on healthcare are moronic. This isn't the 1900's, this is 2014 and we're gonna have to accept some sort of national health structure, and the next elected government will have to modify it. Hopefully something short of what I just outline above.

I would agree. It's pretty amazing when you think about it that seemingly the majority of people in these states support the actions of their state government in refusing to cooperate. It's definitely cutting your nose off to spite your face, even if you ideologically against it, is it worth hurting your state to make a rhetorical stand?

(05-01-2014 08:19 PM)TPBlaze84 Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-01-2014 07:44 PM)GreenMississippi Wrote: [ -> ]Let's just kill everybody that can't pay for healthcare out of pocket and sell their organs. That'll fix the problem.

For Pete's sake, the states not cooperating with the Federal government on healthcare are moronic. This isn't the 1900's, this is 2014 and we're gonna have to accept some sort of national health structure, and the next elected government will have to modify it. Hopefully something short of what I just outline above.

I would agree. It's pretty amazing when you think about it that seemingly the majority of people in these states support the actions of their state government in refusing to cooperate. It's definitely cutting your nose off to spite your face, even if you ideologically against it, is it worth hurting your state to make a rhetorical stand?

What will be the implications when the Republicans again sweep all statewide offices this November, and all incumbents who run are returned to their posts? They have all campaigned against the ACA and the many among the 2/3 rds who would qualify for expanded Medicaid will feel relieved that they remain free of federal bondage as assured by their conservative politicians.