House passes Medicaid expansion & House prepares to vote on Senate health care plan & the rust report 19&23&28FEB14

IN a typical tea-bagger anti government rant about Obamacare tom rust r delegate 86th district, in his rust report sent out 28FEB14 says " As an example according to the Human Resources Director of my engineering firm which self funds its insurance program, has electronic communications and enrollment capabilities, and outsources payroll our costs are therefore 'muted', but we are still paying $135,945 for 2013-2014 in taxes and fees to the federal government and not receiving any benefit." That pretty much sums up the the lack of compassion, the lack of morality and the greed that drives tom rust and his fellow gop tea-baggers. He is one of those pro lifers that is only pro life until birth, after that he would throw the child with his / her family to the wolves rather than provide health care, SNAP, and other support to those Virginians who need it. As a person of faith his rejection of the teachings of Christ, the Beatitudes, for the gospel of prosperity, the lust for increasing his own power and profits at the expense and of others is disturbing. He must be sleeping through the sermons at St Timothy's Episcopal Church. Here is some of the reporting on the health care debate in Richmond and delegate rust's report...

House passes Medicaid expansion

The House of Delegates and State Senate both voted Saturday to pass a state budget bill with language that will form a 10-person commission to review and examine health care reforms before allowing Virginia to proceed with full Medicaid expansion.
The vote in the House was 83-17 in favor of the bill. The Senate voted 31-8 to advance the legislation to Gov. Bob McDonnell.
The bill heading to the governor would authorize the expansion of the Medicaid program to 400,000 Virginians if specific reforms to the program are met. The legislation also establishes a special committee to certify whether the reforms have been put in place to allow the expansion, effective July 1, 2014.
“The budget language is a step in the right direction, but many of us would have liked a clearer statement that we intend to expand Medicaid immediately.  Medicaid expansion will bring health care coverage to 400,000 low-income workers, veterans and children, create 30,000 jobs, and delaying enactment costs Virginia millions of dollars per day.  The failure means that hard working Virginia taxpayers will subsidize health care coverage in neighboring states which have expanded Medicaid,” said House Democratic Leader David J. Toscano (D- Charlottesville).
“We have put Virginia on a clear path to expanding Medicaid. Isn’t it immoral to deprive 400,000 Virginians – our neighbors – of medical insurance? Isn’t it immoral to deprive 30,000 Virginians – our neighbors — of good-paying jobs? Isn’t it immoral to send the hard-earned money of tax-paying Virginians, that should be coming here, to other states? Today, we have made a wise choice and done the right thing,” State Sen. Janet D. Howell (D-Fairfax) said.
http://augustafreepress.com/house-passes-medicaid-expansion/

1. McDonnell outlines opposition to Medicaid expansion
2. Victory, defeat for Medicaid expansion in General Assembly
3. Committees vote to block Medicaid expansion
4. Bolling backs proposed expansion of Virginia Medicaid program
5. House passes health-care reform

House prepares to vote on Senate health care plan

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Del. Scott Garrett, R-Lynchburg, a physician, speaks against Medicaid expansion during the floor session of the House of Delegates on Wednesday. Garrett pulled dollar bills out of three different pockets to illustrate that all tax revenue was earned by someone, and putting it into Medicaid expansion is not a good idea. “That is my money … that I earned,” Garrett said.

Posted: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 10:45 pm

By Olympia Meola and Markus Schmidt | Richmond Times-Dispatch

House Republicans have filed a budget amendment mirroring the state Senate’s approach to extending health care coverage, setting the stage today for a robust debate and recorded vote on the proposal.
Today the House of Delegates and the Senate vote on their versions of the state’s two-year spending plan.
“We have stated all along that our caucus is opposed to Medicaid expansion. We want reforms first,” Del. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, told reporters Wednesday. “This will certainly demonstrate as to where the House is vis-a-vis Medicaid expansion.”
House Majority Leader Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, said lawmakers are down to “crunch time” as both chambers get ready to back their respective versions of the budget.
A group of conferees — senior negotiators from the two chambers — will begin meeting to hammer out differences between the plans. The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn March 8.
A sharp difference between the two plans is Medicaid expansion under the federal health care law.
“I think it’s very instructive that we get a definitive read right now with their language — there’s no other language before us — where we are,” Cox said.
The GOP-dominated House opposes expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. In its budget, it chose instead to reimburse hospitals for money removed in former Gov. Bob McDonnell’s proposed budget and cuts in reimbursement under new federal health care regulations.
The Democratic-controlled Senate provides more money to hospitals. It also proposes “Marketplace Virginia,” a private insurance plan that would serve the same population that would be covered by Medicaid expansion. It also would replace the federal health insurance marketplace that began operating Jan. 1.
“For business and human reasons, we must take action to close the coverage gap to extend access to affordable health care to thousands of uninsured Virginians and ensure that our federal tax dollars are used in the state,” said House Minority Leader David Toscano, D-Charlottesville.
“I am glad we will have the opportunity to debate one plan to do this on the floor. While there are other plans that may also work, this plan will use market based approaches to close the coverage gap.”
Earlier Wednesday, members of a coalition of Medicaid expansion advocates again urged lawmakers to make health insurance available to potentially 400,000 uninsured Virginians.
As of Tuesday, Virginia has forfeited $250 million in federal funding by refusing to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, said Jill Hanken of Healthcare for All Virginians.
“That’s a troubling milestone. That’s a lot of money that’s been paid by a lot of companies and individual Virginians, but it’s not being used in Virginia,” Hanken said in a news conference at the state Capitol.
“It’s bad enough to lose such a large amount of money, but what troubles us the most is the loss of medical care that the money could have provided for so many uninsured Virginians,” she said.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe said of the reported $250 million: “Today’s announcement is the latest evidence that Virginia cannot afford to let partisan politics prevent us from closing the coverage gap.”
House Republicans maintain that Virginia cannot count on Washington living up to its promised contributions.
“Virginia is one of the nation’s top recipients of federal dollars, receiving well over $125 billion in federal aid, grants, contracts and spending,” said Matthew Moran, a spokesman for House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford County. “That’s nearly double what Virginians paid in federal taxes in 2012. In his remarks to the joint assembly last month, Governor McAuliffe said Virginia was overly dependent on federal spending.
“The House has been very clear that we will not bet the fiscal future of the commonwealth on empty promises and borrowed money from Washington,” Moran said.
At the news conference, Hanken also criticized the budget proposed Sunday by the Republican-dominated House of Delegates. It opposes Medicaid expansion, but it is prepared to restore some cuts made in then-Gov. Bob McDonnell’s introduced budget and provides an additional $3 million a year to free clinics and community health centers.
“The thing about that, $3 million a year compared to $5 million per day through expanding coverage for individuals, that is less than a drop in the bucket,” Hanken said.
The Senate’s “Marketplace Virginia” plan “offers a creative way to cover insurance and keep tax dollars in the commonwealth,” Hanken said.
Dr. Richard Szucs, a Richmond radiologist, said that disease and illness does not distinguish between people who have health insurance and those who don’t.
“As it stands today, Virginia has a basic disparity. People with insurance have a way to pay for diagnosis and treatment that they need. Individuals without coverage must often delay their care or simply do without it,” Szucs said.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/house-prepares-to-vote-on-senate-health-care-plan/article_6e06bafc-99e1-11e3-b1fe-0017a43b2370.html

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More about Medicaid

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• Medicaid Expansion (From the rust report 28FEB14)
   
  One of the most controversial issues the General Assembly is dealing with this session is Medicaid expansion. You have read much about it! As you know, Medicaid is a program funded by the U.S. federal and state governments that pays the medical expenses of people who are in certain age and income brackets and therefore unable to pay some or all of their own medical expenses. The question now is whether or not to expand Medicaid.

  
  

  The Problem:

  • 1 million Virginians are uninsured (1 in 8 residents) with 359,000 of those earning an income under 138% of poverty, including 47,000 veterans and their families.
  • Since 2004, Virginia has spent more than $1.2 billion subsidizing the cost of indigent care at Virginia hospitals. The cost in 2013 was $137 million and it is increasing every year.
  • The cost of caring for the uninsured is reflected in a 'hidden' tax paid by Virginia health insurance policyholders - that is you and me! It is estimated to be between 2 percent and 10 percent of our insurance premiums.
  • Virginia tax payers and businesses are sending money to Washington for health care for low income Virginians for which we receive no funds back. Between FY2015-FY2022 Virginians will send $13.6 billion and receive nothing in return.
  • The cost of waiting
  • Each day we wait to provide health care for low-income Virginians we forego about $5 million in funds from the federal government from taxes that we are currently sending to the federal government.
  • The uninsured won't disappear if we do nothing. These individuals will seek care in emergency rooms - the most expensive option.
  •  We will continue to subsidize the cost of caring for the uninsured at a cost of more than $137 million from our General Fund budget each year. 

  The Solution - Marketplace Virginia: In its simplest form, Virginia would take the federal money, set up a state exchange (we now have a federal exchange) and allow individuals to purchase healthcare coverage through a private insurance network utilizing the federal funds. This would be a Managed Care Program.

  
  

  The Benefits:  

  • Virginia would recapture about $1.7 billion each year we are currently sending to Washington which could be used for:
  • Additional funding for behavioral health, about $202 million
  • Meaningful General Fund Savings, about $137 million
  • Improved access, better outcomes and reduced costs for Virginia
  • Improved mental health facilities in corrections institutions, about $6 million.
  •  According to Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources, about $1 billion in Affordable Care Act costs will be saved between FY2014-FY2022. 

  Recipients of health care insurance:

  • Promotes personal responsibility and accountability for health care services
  • Requires cost sharing up to 5% of income
  •  Includes incentives for job search and work activities. 

  The Risk: 

  • The federal government reneges on the financial commitment they have made. If that occurs, Virginia will discontinue the program as specified in the legislation.

  
  

  I am not happy with the Affordable Care Act, "Obamacare", and there are innumerable problems with it including the fact that it cuts into everyone's bottom line by forcing businesses and individuals to pay more to cover the uninsured. As an example according to the Human Resources Director of my engineering firm which self funds its insurance program, has electronic communications and enrollment capabilities, and outsources payroll our costs are therefore 'muted', but we are still paying $135,945 for 2013-2014 in taxes and fees to the federal government and not receiving any benefit. Despite the problems, Obamacare is the law of the land and while numerous efforts to overturn it have been made by Congress, none have been successful. Now we need to find a way to make this work for the benefit of Virginians by finding a solution that protects Virginia taxpayers' hard-earned money and return those dollars flowing across the Potomac to Washington back to Virginia. After carefully and deliberately weighing the options and listening to passionate debates on the floor of the House, I believe Marketplace Virginia is a solution for the citizens of the 86th district and all Virginians. Is it perfect? No, but we simply cannot afford to continue to give the federal government any more of our money and get nothing in return.

  
  

  As noted, this matter is very controversial but I would note Marketplace Virginia has broad support in the business community as evidenced by numerous Chambers of Commerce's support. In addition, health providers and the faith community have indicated their support. Finally, I would note the healthcare question is not concluded and I will surmise the debate will go on until the end of this budget cycle which is June 30, 2014.