Pat Waller | Health Care

Governor Brags About Vetoing Healthcare For The Poor -- 6 times

Newly Elected Kentucky Governor Promises To Gut Medicaid

War declared on the ‘private option’

Obamacare opponents wage state-level fight

House GOP Didn't Get Pope’s Memo On Poor Before Slashing Food Stamps | Alternet

House GOP Didn't Get Pope’s Memo On Poor Before Slashing Food Stamps | Alternet
"There’s nothing new about the House GOP’s war on America’s poor. They want people to go hungry. They want to deny people healthcare. Those were the bottom lines in votes on Thursday and Friday."

PERRspectives: GOP Blocks Health Insurance for 11 Million in 2014

PERRspectives: GOP Blocks Health Insurance for 11 Million in 2014
"As other studies have warned, the state-by-state numbers are shocking. In Texas, Governor Rick Perry denounced Obamacare Medicaid expansion as a "fool's errand." But his foolishness in opting out means an extra 1.9 million Texans will needlessly go without health insurance in state where 24 percent of all residents--and 30 percent between the ages of 18 and 64--lack coverage. In Florida, where the GOP legislature is rebuffing Republican Governor Rick Scott's choice to accept the windfall from Washington, another million residents will be left uncovered. (In contrast, over 300,000 more Arizonans will gain insurance, thanks to a rare showing of common sense by Governor Jan Brewer.) Next door neighbors Minnesota and Wisconsin provide another useful case study. While Democrat Mark Dayton will be cutting the ranks of the uninsured by almost half in his state, in Madison Republican Scott Walker is leaving an estimated 182,000 folks out in the cold."

The Great American Do-It-Yourself Retirement Fraud, Brought to You By Big Finance & Co. | Alternet

The Great American Do-It-Yourself Retirement Fraud, Brought to You By Big Finance & Co. | Alternet
"The United States is on the verge of a retirement crisis. For the first time in living memory, it seems likely that living standards for those over the age of 65 will begin to decline as compared to those who came before them—and that’s without taking into account the possibility that Social Security benefits will be cut at some point in the future.

The culprit? That same thing Mathisen celebrated: the 401(k), along with the other instruments of do-it-yourself retirement. Not only did they not make us millionaires as self-appointed pundits like Mathisen promised, they left very many of us with very little at all."

Southern Leaders Opt to Exclude 2.7 Million From Health Care

Southern Leaders Opt to Exclude 2.7 Million From Health Care
"But in Rome, 27 percent of  adults under 65 are uninsured, a rate that holds true across the state. Last year, the city’s two hospitals report spending more than $80 million delivering uncompensated care, often in the emergency room, where costs run high. Taxpayers and those with health insurance will end up paying for that care through government subsidies and higher premiums, industry experts say."

Bombshell: Plutocrats Brazenly Collude to Hurt State Economies and Screw Working People | Alternet

Bombshell: Plutocrats Brazenly Collude to Hurt State Economies and Screw Working People | Alternet
"Illinois fatcats discuss plan to sabotage state bond ratings in scheme to destroy pensions."

‘Death By Zip Code’: Health Disparities Between Rich And Poor Areas Are Only Getting Worse

‘Death By Zip Code’: Health Disparities Between Rich And Poor Areas Are Only Getting Worse: On Tuesday, a new report revealed that Americans are in “mediocre” health, and the United States has significantly worse health outcomes than other wealthy countries. But in addition to the gap between the U.S. and other developed nations, the new research also documented the widening gulf between different areas of this country — and the [...]/p

Arizona Legislature Advances Medicaid Expansion, Extending Health Coverage To 50,000 Poor Americans

Arizona Legislature Advances Medicaid Expansion, Extending Health Coverage To 50,000 Poor Americans: Faced with enormous political pressure from Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ), the Arizona House passed a budget and Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion in a rare 3:40 a.m. vote on Thursday. The bills now go back to the state Senate — where they are expected to pass easily later this morning — for final approval before heading to [...]/p

A Political Brawl Over Medicaid Could Leave Mississippi’s Poor Without Any Health Coverage At All

A Political Brawl Over Medicaid Could Leave Mississippi’s Poor Without Any Health Coverage At All: Mississippi lawmakers are at such a political impasse over Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion that they may fail to reauthorize the main program itself, let alone expand it to cover more low-income Americans. That would leave close to 700,000 poor Mississippians without basic health coverage for doctor’s visits, checkups, or prescription drugs for chronic diseases like diabetes. [...]/p

GOP Governor Urges His Party To Expand Medicaid: ‘What Would Ronald Reagan Do?’

GOP Governor Urges His Party To Expand Medicaid: ‘What Would Ronald Reagan Do?’: Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) has a simple question for Republican lawmakers reticent to take part in Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion: “What would Reagan do?” The answer, according to Kasich, is also simple — expand Medicaid. In an editorial for USA Today, Kasich — who became the fifth Republican governor to endorse expansion in February — noted [...]/p

Five Essential Facts About Food Stamps

Five Essential Facts About Food Stamps: The majority of SNAP recipients are children or elderly–and many work. A report released in November 2012 by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service shows that45 percent of SNAP recipients were under 18 years of age and nearly 9 percent were age 60 or older. What’s more, more than 40 percent of SNAP recipients lived in a household with earnings.

GOP Governors Cost Their States Billions To Deny Poor People Health Care

GOP Governors Cost Their States Billions To Deny Poor People Health Care
"Now Rick Perry and the other states rejecting that Medicaid expansion on pure ideological grounds without thinking about the consequences are about to find themselves explaining to constituents, and possibly each other, how their budgets just found themselves in serious deficit status."

Republican Lies Thwart Attempts to Reach Democratic Ideal of Educated Citizenry

Republican Lies Thwart Attempts to Reach Democratic Ideal of Educated Citizenry
"Senator Lindsey Graham is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to lying about the state of America’s social welfare programs.

In an interview on CBS’ Face the Nation last December, Graham said that, “I think we’re going over the cliff. It’s pretty clear to me they made a political calculation. This offer doesn’t remotely deal with entitlement reform in a way to save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security from imminent bankruptcy. It raises $1.6 trillion on job creators that will destroy the economy and there are no spending controls" The Senator couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are all doing just fine, and are far from going broke."

Nearly Zero Percent Savings Interest Rates Are Forcing Seniors to Ration for Survival, While Wall Street Investors Are Making Record Profits

Nearly Zero Percent Savings Interest Rates Are Forcing Seniors to Ration for Survival, While Wall Street Investors Are Making Record Profits
"The continual cries of "austerity" by the wealthy integrally relate to this tale of two economies, because there is no austerity being imposed on the wealthy: it's like the 1920's all over again for them.

However, seniors and the working class are being squeezed by cuts in benefits, pay, and the inability to earn interest of any meaningful size on money that they saved for retirement.For most Americans, they have been living in austerity for years now.

It's time to see some austerity imposed upon the 1 percent.

Far too many of the rest of us are already "austeritied" to rationing for survival."

Texas Will Deny Health Coverage To 1.5 Million Low-Income Residents

Texas Will Deny Health Coverage To 1.5 Million Low-Income Residents: 1.5 million low-income Texans may go without health care coverage after lawmakers in the state voted against expanding Medicaid using $100 billion in federal funds offered under President Obama’s health care law. The decision comes almost a year after the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government cannot require states to enroll more Medicaid beneficiaries. [...]/p

States that rejected Medicaid also have most uninsured, poorest health

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/21/1210668/-States-that-rejected-Medicaid-also-have-most-uninsured-poorest-nbsp-health
"Sadly, the states that have the greatest need to expand Medicaid also have the Republican leaders who are refusing to participate. That's according to an analysis from the Los Angeles Times, which states health data to determine levels of coverage and overall health status in the states."