Missouri Medicaid Cuts 2005

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These are some snippets made by the Missouri House and Republican Governor Matt (the bastard) Blunt.

Note: skip to the bolds and the end for the lists if you don't want to read the whole shpeel.

-Total number of Missourians losing health insurance coverage in FY 2006 (effective August 28, 2005) as a result of eligibility changes and other new requirements: 104, 213 individuals

Low-income Parents and Children:
-The Budget legislation reduced parent's Medicaid eligibility to the state's "Temporary Assistance" eligibility limits, which range from 17 tp 22% of the federal poverty level, or $292 per month (or $3,504 per year) for a family of three. 68,219 low-income parents will lose health coverage under this legislation. ... It is also likely that eligible children will lose coverage as family coverage is reduced.

Extended Transitional Medical Assistance:
-The budget eliminates coverage for persons eligible for an extra year of transitional Medical Assistance for persons under the poverty level whose earnings disqualify them from regular Medicaid. ... The Department of Social Services estimates that 1,150 low-income workers will lose coverage as a result of the elimination of this program.

Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities:
-SB 539 eliminates the Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD) program, which provides health coverage to persons with disabilities who are attempting to transition back into the work force or who are able to work a small number of hours to supplement their limited incomes. The bill deletes the entire section of current Missouri law that provides the statutory basis for this program in Missouri. ... The Department of Social Services estimates that 9,529 working disabled people will lose all health care coverage as a result of eliminating the MAWD program. Legislation to retain a much more limited MAWD program was passed by the Missouri House of Representatives but did not pass the full General Assembly.

(This doesn't include the number of Disabled people who will be forced to not work at all in order to keep their health insurance.)

Low-income Elderly and Disabled Missourians:
-As a result of SB 539 and HB 11, the Missouri legislature cut eligibility for low-income elderly and disabled residents with incomes over 85% of the federal poverty level, about $678 per month for an individual. The legislation eliminates current statutory provisions that mandate coverage up to 100% of the federal poverty level. ... In addition to the individuals who will lose coverage altogether, thousands of individuals will be transferred to the Medicaid spenddown program. Those already in the spenddown program will have higher spenddown amounts than they have now. ... The Department of Social Services estimates that 8,660 elderly and disabled people will lose coverage altogether as a result of cutting eligibility back to 85% of the federal poverty level.

--->(For those not familiar with Spenddown, I am on spenddown. I am required, in order for Medicaid to "kick in" and pay for my bills, to accrue bills at or above the amount of $692 per month. If I do not reach this amount, I pay these bills all out of pocket. Now, unless I were going into the hopsital each month or having, say, chemo therapy, I have no way of meeting the spenddown amount. That is the point. Spenddown is essentially a death sentence to losing Medicaid health coverage. It is cheaper for me to buy private insurance. THAT is also the point: to privatize the entire country.)

State-funded Health Coverage for People with Temporary Disabilities:
-SB 539 eliminates the state-funded medical assistance program for recipients of General Relief benefits. The legislation implements this change by deleting the entire General Relief section of the statute. The Department estimates that this change would cause 3,046 people to lose their health coverage.

Premiums:
-SB 539 requires families with incomes above 150% of the federal poverty level (just over $24,100 for a family of three) to begin paying premiums for their children's Medicaid coverage. Under SB 539, Premiums can be "up to" 5% of family income (for income of $24,100, that's $1,205 per year). The final budget legislation authorizes three separate tiers of premium requirements.

Affordability Test:
-SB 539 will deny health coverage to children in families with incomes above 150% of the poverty level who are deemed to have access to "affordable" health insurance-- now defined as coverage that costs $335 per month, or $4,020 per year. ... Medicaid coverage will be denied whether or not these families are actually able to obtain private health insurance for their children.

Elimination of Medical Services:
-dental services
-dentures
-podiatry
-optometric services (restored)
-orthopedic devices
-prosthetics (restored)
-hearing aids
-hospice (restored)
-wheel chairs (restored, but wheel chair batteries and accessories not covered)
-eyeglasses
-comprehensive day rehabilitation services (for adults with head injuries)
-artificial larynx
-augmentative communication devices
-wheel-chair batteries and accessories
-three wheeled scooters
-Rehabilitation services (therapies associated with gait training, artificial larynx, and augmentative communication devices)
-Decubitus care equipment (equipment, supplies to prevent tissue breakdown)
-Hydraulic patient lifts
-trapeze equipment
-orthotics
-hopsital beds and specialized mattresses
-bed side rails
-diabetes self-management training
-commodes and bed pans
-all other durable medical equipment (such as catheters, canes, crutches, walkers, nebulizers, parenteral nutrition, infusion pumps, etc.)

Services Restored
Some services that the Government proposed to eliminate were restored in the budget process for FY 2006:

-ambulance services
-hospice services
-wheel chairs
-prosthetics
-oxygen and respiratory equipment
-diabetic supplies and equipment
-ostomy supplies
-one eye exam every two years

For X's sake! They were gonna cut off supply of oxygen equipment!! ! OMFG. Is it any wonder I hate these damn Republicans???????? They do not give a s**t about who they hurt (or dealing with insurance and supplies, who they KILL). MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. [/rant] for now...