Frist says Katrina might cancel Medicaid cuts

[Judi Lynn]

Frist says Katrina might cancel Medicaid cuts
By Larry Lipman

Palm Beach Post Washington Bureau
Tuesday, September 13, 2005

WASHINGTON — Congress will have to weigh the Bush administration's desire to cut projected Medicaid spending by $10 billion over the next five years with the need to provide more coverage to people who have lost health care because of Hurricane Katrina, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Monday.

Frist, a heart and lung transplant surgeon who is considered a possible Republican presidential candidate for 2008, said the purpose of the proposed cuts was to slow annual growth in the federal-state health-care program for the poor from about 7.4 percent to 7.1 percent by reducing waste, fraud and abuse. But spending cuts that result in "cutting back on care... would be absolutely wrong," he said.

Although the Bush administration last week announced that states would "not be penalized" for accepting evacuees from Hurricane Katrina who need Medicaid or children's health insurance coverage, Frist said Congress has not yet decided whether the federal government will cover 100 percent of the states' expenses.
(snip)

As a result of the hurricane, thousands of people who have health insurance through their employer will lose their coverage — meaning there probably will be a greater demand for Medicaid, Scheppach said. Meanwhile, those states will see a sharp decline in their revenues because of the loss of businesses and tourism, and they already had fewer than average doctors accepting Medicaid because their Medicaid reimbursement rates to health-care providers are among the lowest in the country.
(snip/...)

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/nation/epaper/2005/09/13/a10a_medicaid_0913.html

[applegrove]

1. What about the "estate tax"?

[Erika]

5. Well, the rich needs those cuts

somebody said one of them might someday open up a health clinic somewhere for the needy....or buy a yacht. You know they have been over burdoned by our tax system and paying far more than their share for years. W is just trying to make it fairer. You know, the GOP routine.

[cpamomfromtexas]

14. Yeah, I parked next to a Bentley at Church (eye roll)

I told my kids not to touch it!

All I could think about was SOMEONE must be benefitting from the tax cuts.

[applegrove]

2. They keep the tax cuts going and medicaid will cut itself as the debt

grows. Perhaps they see 2008 as no longer a Repuke win. Perhaps they need to bankrupt government even faster.


Anyone heard what Frist says about the estate tax cut?

[texpatriot2004]

3. No, I don't think so. That's not how it's going to go. THOSE

TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY - THOSE ARE GOING!

[applegrove]

4. I'm with you. We need progressive taxation.

[texpatriot2004]

8. Absolutely! America can do better and we are smarter than this

ridiculous hogwash.

[applegrove]

11. You either have good income tax or you have good estate tax. Or both.

If you have neither you are building uber-elites who will dominate and skew a country into something other than democracy.

[rwenos]

6. Sure, But Nothing about Bankruptcy Reform Act

Which goes into effect on October 17th. After that, Chapter 7 filers who make more than the median income in their state won't be able to discharge all those pesky credit card debts.

A humane Congress would repeal, or at least postpone this Draconian measure. But these boys won't.

[eleny]

7. Wonder if they'll use this to slither out of their odious cuts altogether

And I wouldn't put it past the Rebushlicans if they tried to use that move to actually make themselves look good.

[radwriter0555]

9. Watch as the admin grooms the public for the Mister Nice Republican

President they'll get in 2008.

They're definitely using Katrina to present the kinder, gentler President Frist.

[aquart]

10. Don't bet on it.

This is Frist selling himself as the caring conservative.

I don't hear anyone else tooting that horn.

George, ESPECIALLY, is not going to allow anyone to play heir apparent in his face.

But Frist is hardly the only Republican seeing himself as the last best hope of wealthy mankind.

[radwriter0555]

12. You didn't know? Frist is your next president. bush doesn't care, he's got

all the goodies he came after and when 2008 gets here, his ticket is up. Frist will be the man of the hour; the PNAC has chosen him, Kkkarl Rove will be his campaign manager and advisor, etc.

It will be interesting to see who they choose for Veep though.

bush doesn't mind playing good-cop, bad-cop.

[Supersedeas]

13. the last vestages of conscience appear before the Naked Emperor

[cookiebird]

15. 2006 Elections

Bread & Circuses, folks. Make sure every one has a good feeling about being the #1 Superpower. 2006 is the focus.