Bad News Re: New HHS Chief, Michael Leavitt

[DemBones DemBones]

WASHINGTON - Michael Leavitt, President Bush's choice to be secretary of Health and Human Services, may have to cut billions of dollars from the government's mammoth health programs for the elderly, poor and disabled to pare the budget deficit.

The Medicare and Medicaid programs, consuming nearly $500 billion a year and growing quickly, could be vulnerable in the context of last year's $413 billion budget deficit, the ongoing war in Iraq, costly domestic security commitments and administration plans to revamp Social Security without raising taxes.



No need to provide any health care for all those useless fodder units out there, right?


MORE:

Before becoming governor, he was chief operating officer of the Leavitt Group, a family insurance firm in which he maintains an investment worth between $5 million and $25 million, according to a financial disclosure report he filed in 2003.

The company owns 100 independent insurance agencies that sell supplemental Medicare policies, among other insurance products, according to company literature.
The Medigap policies account for less than 1 percent of company revenues, said Dane Leavitt, the president and CEO. He is Michael Leavitt's brother.

"I have never had a discussion with him on any of those topics and I don't anticipate having one," Dane Leavitt said.


The family company, which Michael Leavitt used to be CEO of, OWNS insurance agencies that sell supplemental Medicare policies, but his brother, who's now the company's CEO, claims they've never discussed such things??? Tell us another one!

:argh:

To read the entire story, go to http://yahoo.com, click "politics" in left hand column and you'll find it. This way, you can rate it and your rating will be counted. If I link to the story and you click your way there, your rating is not counted.


 

[Skink]

1. Does this guy have a nanny?

[pelagius]

2. Or two mistresses?

Seems to be the new standard, what with Guiliani getting away with one and Kerik taking the fall with two.

[DemBones DemBones]

4. Good question!

We can hope. . . It seems that the orders to slash programs will come down no matter who's at HHS, though. :cry:

[nofurylike]

3. thank you for the info. n/t

[Sugarbleus]

5. A word that keeps coming to mind when I read

all the various reports of slashing budgets/funding--especially for the poor, aging, and disabled:

GENOCIDE!! :grr:

[WarNoMore]

6. This is what I've been expecting/thinking about

since Dec. 12, 2000.

[Sugarbleus]

9. It's hard sometimes to get the mind around this concept but

If these vile dictators were to go on with ANOTHER puppet prez, I fear we truly could be doomed.

I heard a talkshow host discussing the "rendering asunder" of America the other night.

I knew Bush would be awful for domestic issues (everything for that matter) but I had no idea it would go this far. It wasn't until just before the Iraq invasion that I began to really FEAR for our country, our citizens, our rights et al.

The talkshow host and callers in began to openly discuss what they (and now I) believe is the destruction of America by this current government!! People were saying they did not believe Bush or his ilk even LIKED America OR the Constitution, let alone domestic programs.

These evil people talk about Moral Values. They talk about the constitution this and that...BUT, in reality, THEY HATE ALL OF IT.

If they were to trick their way in and continue on in government, surely the scenarios we discuss herein WOULD COME TO PASS, in a subtle way at first, then outright.

WE HAVE TO TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY!

[Banazir]

7. That's exactly the word.

And that's exactly what I think could happen. Easily. (My rants on this are contained in several other threads, so I'll spare you a rehash.)

[Sugarbleus]

8. Hi Banazir. Yes, I've seen your postings...

Good "rants". :thumbsup:

[jwirr]

10. From "ARC Northland News" in Minnesota:

This is an item in the paper: "On February 3, Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt delivered a speech on Medicaid. Secretary Leavitt did reiterate the Administration's commitment to increasing the availability of home and community based services for people with disabilities and the importance of removing Medicaid's institutional bias. However, nowhere in his speech did he commit to ensuring that mandatory beneficiaries (including people with developmental disabilities who qualify for SSI) will have guaranteed access to optional services. Under Medicaid law, almost all of the services people with disabilities in the community are considered 'optional', including ICF's/MR, Home and community based services waivered programs, prescription drugs, OT, PT, speech therapy, case management, rehabilitation services, durable medical equipment, and dental and vision care. In secretary Leavitt's recent testimony to the Senate Finance Committee, he shared his belief that 'mandatory beneficiaries and mandatory services should remain mandatory; optional beneficiaries and services should remain optional'. More information on this topic can be found on the following website: www.c-c-d.org/resources.htm ."



I suspect that the bushies are going to try to do to other people with disabilities what reagan did to the mentally ill, but them out on the streets without services.

[DemBones DemBones]

11. I hope you're wrong that the disabled will be put on the streets as the

mentally ill were under Reagan but it could certainly happen.

Reagan also cut funds for special educational needs. I was teaching high school at the time and saw the results: kids who'd been in special ed or compensatory (remedial) programs all through school were re-tested and suddenly pronounced "cured" of their learning disability or mild mental or intellectual handicap and thrown into regular classes to sink or swim. Not many swam. What happened to them once they left school?

People like Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II have no compassion for other human beings.