Our Health Policy Matters

Want to get an email notice when new Our Health Policy Matters columns are posted?  Send an email to gionfriddopaul@gmail.com and I'll add you to the list. Treating the public policy arena like a casino is never a good idea. Florida is placing an $11 billion bet on Medicaid this year.   If the state loses, we’ll all be emptying our pockets for lower services. The bet involves moving all Medicaid recipients to managed care.   As reported in an article by Jim Saunders in Health News Florida last week, passage of this legislation this year is as close to a sure thing as there is in government. Florida hopes to save $1 billion the first year, and $2 billion by 2013 – nearly 10% of the total State Medicaid budget. There are three problems with this calculation. The first is that the projected savings from moving to managed care might be too high.   In a 2009 report prepared for America’s Health Insurance Plans , the Lewin Group found that savings in 24 different stat...

Want to get an email notice when new Our Health Policy Matters columns are posted?  Send an email to gionfriddopaul@gmail.com and I'll add you to the list. Treating the public policy arena like a casino is never a good idea. Florida is placing an $11 billion bet on Medicaid this year.   If the state loses, we’ll all be emptying our pockets for lower services. The bet involves moving all Medicaid recipients to managed care.   As reported in an article by Jim Saunders in Health News Florida last week, passage of this legislation this year is as close to a sure thing as there is in government. Florida hopes to save $1 billion the first year, and $2 billion by 2013 – nearly 10% of the total State Medicaid budget. There are three problems with this calculation. The first is that the projected savings from moving to managed care might be too high.   In a 2009 report prepared for America’s Health Insurance Plans , the Lewin Group found that savings in 24 different stat...

Policymakers across the country have declared war on health.   You may have missed the headline, but this is a war with many casualties. Its objective is to topple health care as we know it.   When health care falls, our health will be the victim. Battles are raging in many states to cut the legs out from under health care financing. The Arizona Senate Appropriations Committee recently voted to eliminate the Medicaid program.   This would make 1.3 million people uninsured and cost the state $7.5 billion in federal funding.   A Florida Senate leader has threatened to eliminate Medicaid unless the federal government agrees to massive changes.   This would cost Florida over $10 billion, and make 3 million people uninsured. Wisconsin’s Governor has proposed dropping over 60,000 people from Medicaid because they are too rich.   “Too rich” means a two-person household income of less than $29,100.       Medicaid isn’t the only target.  ...

Policymakers across the country have declared war on health.   You may have missed the headline, but this is a war with many casualties. Its objective is to topple health care as we know it.   When health care falls, our health will be the victim. Battles are raging in many states to cut the legs out from under health care financing. The Arizona Senate Appropriations Committee recently voted to eliminate the Medicaid program.   This would make 1.3 million people uninsured and cost the state $7.5 billion in federal funding.   A Florida Senate leader has threatened to eliminate Medicaid unless the federal government agrees to massive changes.   This would cost Florida over $10 billion, and make 3 million people uninsured. Wisconsin’s Governor has proposed dropping over 60,000 people from Medicaid because they are too rich.   “Too rich” means a two-person household income of less than $29,100.       Medicaid isn’t the only target.  ...