Slog
News & ArtsMonday, November 8, 2010
Politics Secure the Border!
Posted by Dan Savage on Mon, Nov 8, 2010 at 9:57 AM
So the state of Texas—where Republicans racked up huge numbers—is talking about pulling out of the federal Medicaid program. Whatever you want, guys. But what's to stop Texas from enjoying lower taxes when they're young and relatively spry—spry for Texas—and then hopping on their Rascals and scooting to states that haven't withdrawn from Medicare once they reach retirement age? exporting their sick and needy to other states? Nothing right now. So if Texas withdraws from Medicaid we're going to have to secure the border. I'm thinking we're going to need a dang fence running along Texas's borders with New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Maybe an electrified one.
We might want to build that dang fence even if Texas doesn't withdraw from Medicare. Just to be safe.
5
I'm thinking cattle traps in all airports, bus stations, bordercrossing stations, streets etc ought to do the trick.
6
Yeah, good thought 5280, but they'd have to step right on top of them...any deflection, and think of the comprehensive injuries you'd be exporting to other states...
7
That's right, penalize the children of the poor for picking the wrong family to be born into by denying them healthcare and ensuring that their economy will completely crash in about 25 years.
8
You just make people sign a statement that says, "I'm not paying anything in, I won't take anything out". If they want to recant, they can rejoin but have to pay some multiple of the base going rate, and are excluded for preexisting conditions and/or being over the age of 40. If you opt out and get sick, we put you on an ice floe somewhere and set you adrift, the way God intended.
11
their emergency rooms will be overflowing with poor, uninsured people, and their health care premiums will increase across the board to cover the burden of providing health care to people without insurance (even more than they already are). thank you for volunteering to make your state an example of what not to do, texas.
12
"enjoying lower taxes when they're young and relatively spry—spry for Texas—and then hopping on their Rascals and scooting to states that haven't withdrawn from Medicare once they reach retirement age? "
I have spent years in Seattle, and also traveled all over Texas extensively.
In my learned opinion, Seattle has more (per capita) fat ugly white trash scumbags in sweatpants than Texas does.
I have spent years in Seattle, and also traveled all over Texas extensively.
In my learned opinion, Seattle has more (per capita) fat ugly white trash scumbags in sweatpants than Texas does.
13
If people leave Texas they get fewer Representatives and fewer Electoral College votes. If enough of them leave they even lose their influence over public school textbooks.
So yeah, go ahead and make it suck even worse to be a Texan.
So yeah, go ahead and make it suck even worse to be a Texan.
14
And we all thought Steve King wasn't good for anything. Luckily he already has us covered >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of67SW_r2…
15
Northern Texas has a lot of wind farms... perhaps all the propellers could just be lowered a couple hundred feet?
Green energy AND a thrilling border obstacle course at the same time!
Green energy AND a thrilling border obstacle course at the same time!
16
Come on, you won't need a big electrified fence. Remember, we're talking about old people chasing Medicaid funds. A 4ft high chain link fence should be plenty.
17
It's even simpler than I thought, actually. Everybody and their brother owns guns around those parts. Just put a bounty on 'em.
18
Growing up in Colorado in the 80's we would have loved a fence to keep all those New Oil Money Texans from taking over our state. Of course those folks were bringing money in, not sucking it out! Still, the sudden appearance of cowboy hats on the ski slopes was unsettling.
19
I hope they become a separate country, so I can get four passports - one for Texas, one for America, one for Cascadia, and one for Canada.
20
@18: I wouldn't have minded them nearly as much if they had just left their fucking motor homes behind.
21
As a general fan of the rule of law and state's rights, I say: abso-friggin'-lutely. No cheaters!
22
There's going to be a big business in false residency in the surrounding states, so Texans can slip over the border, see a doctor on their fraudulent medicaid, and then head back home.
Probably a lot like all the New Yorkers who have registration plates on their cars from Pennsylvania to avoid New York insurance rates. I sit here imagining that, on paper at least, there are thousands of people "living" in some rundown 12-unit motel somewhere in PA that acts as a mail drop for their insurance and registration renewals.
Probably a lot like all the New Yorkers who have registration plates on their cars from Pennsylvania to avoid New York insurance rates. I sit here imagining that, on paper at least, there are thousands of people "living" in some rundown 12-unit motel somewhere in PA that acts as a mail drop for their insurance and registration renewals.
23
So, uh, why exactly would you want Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana to be on OUR side of the fence?
24
Medicare is for the elderly, Medicaid is for the poor.
Wouldn't want to go to an emergency room in Texas after that happens...has disaster written all over it!
Wouldn't want to go to an emergency room in Texas after that happens...has disaster written all over it!
25
Dan's post and the subsequent comments seem to display some confusion.
Medicade is a state-run health care program for the poor, where the federal government kicks in 60% to 80% of the funding (varying by state, programs offered).
From www.connectamarillo.com:
"A conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, estimates Texas could save $60 billion between 2013 and 2019 by opting out of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). By doing that the state would drop coverage for acute care but continue to fund long-term care services. A study on the effect of ending the state's participation in the federal match program is expected to be released sometime between now and January by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The Medicaid and CHIP services here in Texas currently has 3.6 million children, people with disabilities, and impoverished enrolled in the programs."
As I understand it, this will be packaged as necessary due to the new provisions in "ObamaCare", the costs of which are fully covered with federal funds through 2019.
Of course, Texas doesn't have to opt out, they can simply continue to lower their Medicade payment schedule, which will cut their costs twice, both from ammount per payout and from total payouts, as less providers accept Medicaid.
From the AP DALLAS, July 11, 2010:
"About 3.3 million poor and disabled Texans depend on Medicaid for health care, but less than a third of the state's 48,700 practicing doctors accept patients covered by the federal program, according to Texas Health and Human Services Commission. And some doctors who do participate in the program limit the number and kind of patients they accept."
"Dr. Lou Montanaro, a suburban Dallas obstetrician, said he wanted to stay in the Medicaid program, but low reimbursement levels have prompted him to restrict the Medicaid cases he takes. He accepts pregnant patients, but not women seeking gynecological care."
Those on Medicare
Can't get served anywhere
[clap] [clap] [clap]
More...
Medicade is a state-run health care program for the poor, where the federal government kicks in 60% to 80% of the funding (varying by state, programs offered).
From www.connectamarillo.com:
"A conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, estimates Texas could save $60 billion between 2013 and 2019 by opting out of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). By doing that the state would drop coverage for acute care but continue to fund long-term care services. A study on the effect of ending the state's participation in the federal match program is expected to be released sometime between now and January by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The Medicaid and CHIP services here in Texas currently has 3.6 million children, people with disabilities, and impoverished enrolled in the programs."
As I understand it, this will be packaged as necessary due to the new provisions in "ObamaCare", the costs of which are fully covered with federal funds through 2019.
Of course, Texas doesn't have to opt out, they can simply continue to lower their Medicade payment schedule, which will cut their costs twice, both from ammount per payout and from total payouts, as less providers accept Medicaid.
From the AP DALLAS, July 11, 2010:
"About 3.3 million poor and disabled Texans depend on Medicaid for health care, but less than a third of the state's 48,700 practicing doctors accept patients covered by the federal program, according to Texas Health and Human Services Commission. And some doctors who do participate in the program limit the number and kind of patients they accept."
"Dr. Lou Montanaro, a suburban Dallas obstetrician, said he wanted to stay in the Medicaid program, but low reimbursement levels have prompted him to restrict the Medicaid cases he takes. He accepts pregnant patients, but not women seeking gynecological care."
Those on Medicare
Can't get served anywhere
[clap] [clap] [clap]
26
How would dropping out of a Federal program that covers 60-80% of the health care costs of poor people save the state money? Unless they're going to let people start dying on the emergency room steps, SOMEONE will have to pay for that care.
28
@26: I imagine it saves imaginary money. The proponents of this bill have somehow convinced themselves that simply not addressing a problem makes it go away. Pointing out that the savings will be negated by the additional costs incurred by ER visits will only prompt the standard response, which is "why should an ER be required to take unlimited non-paying customers?", meaning "let people without insurance cards bleed out."
Not that this "let 'em die" solution will ever find enough support to happen -- but it will certainly be loudly proposed as a solution to the problem of displaced costs.
Not that this "let 'em die" solution will ever find enough support to happen -- but it will certainly be loudly proposed as a solution to the problem of displaced costs.
29
I think the Republicans would like nothing more than to see the dissolution of the United States of America ...
30
As an Austin resident I feel I should consider changing my profile pic to something saying "Don't blame me--I voted for Bill White."
31
@28: I disagree; my impression is that "Let 'em die" is EXACTLY what a lot of people who don't understand the plight of the truly destitute think. See, they think people only use programs like Medicare or Medicaid because they're too lazy to work and want a hand-out. They're xenophobic morons who don't understand that their insular White upper-middle-class communities are not characteristic of how most people live. Or they really think it's totally cool to let a couple thousand people die so they can save a few thousand bucks on taxes and get a new plasma TV. Of course, they're probably not anticipating the "Fuck you and the police, I'm not gonna die, I'm gonna kill you and steal your shit instead" backlash...
@29: Me too, actually. Then everyone who DIDN'T want to see a Christian theocratic police state with all public services contracted on a for-profit, at-will basis with the corporate fiefdoms that would spring up (perhaps are already springing; even been to Celebration, FL? It's creepy as hell) could become part of Canada, everyone else could become Jesusland, or keep the USA moniker or whatever.
@29: Me too, actually. Then everyone who DIDN'T want to see a Christian theocratic police state with all public services contracted on a for-profit, at-will basis with the corporate fiefdoms that would spring up (perhaps are already springing; even been to Celebration, FL? It's creepy as hell) could become part of Canada, everyone else could become Jesusland, or keep the USA moniker or whatever.
35
I can still get out by plane, right? If I just show the guards at the airport that I have SLOG bookmarked on my phone/laptop, they'll let me through, no problem? You wouldn't lock a fan in Texas forever, would you?!
36
If they do this, Texas can sit back and watch all the for-profit hospital chains pack up and move on out, since all the newly uninsured will start turning up desperately ill at the doors of the ER and running up tens of thousands in emergency care each. The public hospitals (if there are any left in Texas) will fold soon afterwards. Then there won't be anywhere to get care no matter how much insurance you have!
37
@36 Yes, except that you know the Democrats in the Federal government will step in with big checks to avert the "hospital crisis", which will give Republicans another verse in the "tax-and-spend Dems" song, Texas another Federal over-reach complaint, big business another cash infusion party, the bankruptcy mill more grist and the poor cold comfort on their way out from ailments that may not have proven fatal with treatment.
Everyone wins!
[clap] [clap] [clap]
Everyone wins!
[clap] [clap] [clap]
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