"consumers were already asked to pay more this year in higher health insurance premiums and copayments, and that it is only fair to ask other members of the coalition that originally supported the state's two-year-old law to contribute more."
"Coalition fights fee plan for insurers; Urges alternative of mandatory managed care" by Kay Lazar, Globe Staff | July 24, 2008
A coalition of business and insurance groups is vigorously lobbying lawmakers against Governor Deval Patrick's plan to collect millions of dollars from them to help close a $130 million gap this year in funding of the state's landmark health insurance law.
The coalition is pushing an alternative that would require all Massachusetts Medicaid patients to join managed care plans, which try to achieve savings in part by restricting patients' choice of providers and services.
"There is potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in savings in this plan, and I have been perplexed as to why the administration has backed away from doing this in the midst of saying there is a shortfall in healthcare," said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a business-funded public policy group.
There he is AGAIN, folks!!!!
The PRO-BUSINESS, PRO-TAX GUY (unless it is HE and HIS who are being asked to fork over more dough)!!!!!!
Type the name into my blog search and see what comes up!
Widmer's group is among the two-dozen that sent a strongly worded letter yesterday to House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and Senate President Therese Murray, urging them to reject the governor's financial bailout plan.
Bet it wasn't a strong as MY WORDS!!!!!!
"With the Commonwealth facing a bleak fiscal reality and employers and consumers struggling with rising healthcare costs, the governor's proposal is the wrong approach," the letter states, adding that the governor should be focusing on ways to control healthcare costs.
Patrick's proposal would tap an additional $28 million from hospitals this year and $66 million more from employers and insurance companies to finance the near-universal health insurance law. He said earlier this month that consumers were already asked to pay more this year in higher health insurance premiums and copayments, and that it is only fair to ask other members of the coalition that originally supported the state's two-year-old law to contribute more, too.
Oh, so the governor ACTUALLY TRIES to do something for THE PEOPLE, and BUSINESS INTERESTS COME DOWN like a ton of bricks, huh?!!
Yeah, THIS STATE FUCKING SUCKS, and SO DOES ROMNEY'S HEALTH CARE SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!
The December report by the health plans pointed out that a number of other states have retooled their Medicaid programs to require most of their residents to enroll in managed care plans.
I already don't like the SMELL of it!! FUCK MANAGED CARE!!!!!
It concluded that a similar shift in Massachusetts could help persuade federal officials that the state is pursuing cost controls.
Oh, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!!
Pleasing the FEDS, Sig Heil!!!!
That is one factor the federal government is considering as it decides, probably by early next week, whether it should continue to pay the state hundreds of millions of dollars per year to help fund its insurance experiment.
Oooooooooh!!!!!!!
This whole thing has been ONE LONG, LOOTING EXPERIMENT, huh?
And we are going to get FUCKED AGAIN because of the FEDS!!!!
The more I find out about Universal Health Care in AmeriKa, the LESS I LIKE IT!
On Beacon Hill, spokesmen for House and Senate leaders said they are reviewing the coalition's letter and proposal.
Yeah, I've got a whole lot of confidence in those thieves, yup.
--MORE--"
