By Ron Benvenisti: While every state lost extra federal funding to the tune of $100 billion over three years that helped them pay for increased Medicaid enrollment, New Jersey has really been hit hard. Medicaid growth has slowed but trending for getting into the program hasn’t diminished with the unemployment above “9%”. (More like 20% according to real statistics).
The Obama administration has been looking to other providers for reimbursements to find savings despite “stimulus packages” they have received with little success. States are not permitted to restrict Medicaid eligibility, nor make it more difficult to obtain coverage by law.
Valerie Harr, director for the New Jersey Department of Human Services, notes that New Jersey’s Medicaid enrollment increased a whopping 22 percent from July 2008 to June 2011.
Medicaid regulations are based in law and supposedly driven by science, but they have no value unless they demonstrably protect public health. There is much confusion and controversy about how the regulatory frameworks fit together and how they are evolving especially under the planned so called Obamacare.
This Medicaid health care “reform” not only impacts the quality of care, but has now become public safety concern. Many people with diverse ailments which require care will be left to roam the streets of New Jersey instead of receiving the treatment they need as programs get slashed. This includes people with possibly contagious diseases and severe mental health issues.
If you are on Medicaid and own a house the state will put a lien on the house for whatever Medicaid “loaned”” you and it WILL have to be paid back at the time of the house sale. I know – it happened to a relative.
And I’m struggling to pay for MY food, health insurance, housing, and phone bill AND for YOUR foodstamps, medicaid, HUD, and now Phone bills!!! Enough wasting our money! Put an end to this unjust distribution of wealth.
Enough with taking from people who work, and giving it to people who don’t work. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Stop stealing from us. What don’t you understand? The country has had it with your tax and spend policies, and it’s time to get back to basics of personal responsibility, free markets. and individual freedoms. This is what made this country the greatest country in the world.
Medicaid is a hot button, no doubt. I am not editorializing – “just the facts mam”. Now If I were to editorialize I would say:
The issues with Medicaid and other programs of its ilk are not necessarily the programs at heart if implemented justly but the way they stand now they are abused by both caregivers and receivers alike.
The real problem here is waste, fraud and corruption. There are times I believe when folks really do need a life preserver but they should not be given nor charged for a yacht.
A humane and ethical society such as the one our founding fathers had in mind is not adverse to have having some safety nets in place.
Unfortunately I’m sure they would cringe when they see how have turned into a convoluted web of cash cows, bilkers and milkers underneath a layer of governmental bureacratic bungling and broken auditing that allows an acrobatic array of jugglers, tap-dancers, back-doors, loop-holes, greased palms and cracks galore to slither right through for which the innocent citizens (underline citizens) have to pay for through the ear, nose and throat. Some folks are saying the system was designed and aligned with the media and educational system to breakdown the society by encouraging abuse, disunity and chaos. Whether one agrees with that or not is moot, in my opinion, if facts are our friends then – we need to get some honest people in charge to some transparent due diligence ASAP. Enrollment is up 22% in two years!!! The way things are going, it could go up another 22% or more by November 2012. Take a hint from your good ole Uncle Ron.
Wow! I’m not against working to make a living, but what about those of us who do work but don’t make enough to afford the exhorbitant costs of health care? What about families who don’t prioritize owning a house and driving a late model car over paying taxes and tuition and who truely aren’t blessed with a good enough parnossa? There are many Lakewood families who would (theoretically) be homeless, ill, and hungry if not for these government programs. Its simply another mechanism for the Eibishter to provide people with what they need. Why would a yid call that stealing?
cain for president!!!!!!
A yid is mechuyev to pay maaser. Not most of his income to taxes that aren’t even helping other yidden but being wasted at the highest levels. If a yid needs a home, I would open my own to him. For those who work and don’t make it, work harder! Life is very tough. Do you know how many jobs I am juggling to make ends meet? and you know what? There is no reason that money should go to someone on drugs or criminals so they can get healthcare better tahn mine! If another yid needs tzedaka, I give of my maaser happily!
@5
Well said, things aren’t always black and white. The problem is dishonest apples and oranges causing everything else to mold and rot.
to my dear friend Yid: thank you so much for demonstrating your love for the less fortunate child of G.d. I’m sure he also shares your tea party cliques.
its OK Lakewood give the mexican and the latino Jobs, food place
to rent….
@8
Yes, the love for the less fortunate child of G-d. G-d bless you.
You see our sages say that G-d looked into the Torah (what is now referred to as the Bible) and created the world. So really His law was created first. So when it says in the Torah that the “poor shall not cease out of the land” it is so specifically so that we fulfill His Will to help them even more than we help ourselves!!!!. This is what gives us the True Life. Now, my dear sweet Candy Kane, this transcends all parties and G-d judges each according to their intent. We all must do what He wants of us and look at His Word and His Will and forget about the “parties”. G-d did not intend our lives to be a party but to celebrate His love and share His bounty as we are commanded. Any “party” that does not fulfill His will shall only cause destruction and darkness, G-d forbid. So let’s forget the “parties” and let G-d celebrate His Creation before it’s too late.
Ms Candy Cane,
Thanks for the compliment. I’m sure you have taken in to your home a couple of homeless people tonight. Oh, you didn’t?? You must be so selfish then.
Have you given $1,000 to charity in the past month. Oh you haven’t? Well I did. So who’s the one showing their love for the more unfortunate.
What you don’t understand, Ms Candy Cane, is that just as I have no moral right to take your home away from you and give it to the homeless (who are less fortunate than you), I also have no right to take away your hard earned money from you and give it to someone else (no matter how less fortunate they are)
Everyone should definitely give charity to the less fortunate. When you, Ms Candy Cane, give charity like I do, then you’ll have a right to talk about loving less fortunate people. Until then, all the people who don’t work should keep their hands off my hard-earned money.
@9
Wow. You went there, so let the games begin and the sparks will now fly.
Again the issue is not black and white. As our great Sage Maimonides points out, everything can be done ethically and for a moral and righteous purpose.
But when It’s all about greed and self-interest that is what destroys every “great” endeavor man ever has. Towers of Babel.
Come to this land according to it’s ways, as my ancestors did, and do not exploit the foreigner or your neighbor. That’s all it takes – a leap of Faith, a commitment to human dignity and grace.
How simple it really is with Faith in G-d. Without that, it’s a disaster. Period. Exclamation Point.
I think the core point of my previous post went unnoticed. I will reiterate…these programs are simply another mechanism to allow the Eibishter to give those of us what we need. It is noones right to judge anyone elses hishtadlus because we simply aren’t in charge of how much parnossa we get. Don’t tell people to work harder! You work harder on your emunah, and you won’t resent others for getting “your money”…you will realize that it wasn’t yours to begin with.
As far as having drug addicts and criminals benefitting from these programs…we cannot expect that any of these programs are foolproof. There will always be those that get that maybe we think shouldnt , but as a whole it really is not like that. There are extensive background checks and inspections…if there is any criminal activity your benefits are terminated.
As a side point, when jumping on the “my taxes are too high” bandwagon and kvetching about working soooooo many jobs to make ends meet, keep in mind that what taxes you are paying (and if you’re really struggling you are exempt from) aren’t even a drop in the bucket compared to what benefits you receive from your government. Have a little hakares hatov for what Lakewood does for its residents.
the government cannot fix the problem of those who are not willing better themselves . There are those who should be provided help that truely cannot fend for themselves ,unfortunately there are many that thrive by leaching off others thru government handouts