TX GOP budget slashing pushes elderly out

[Oldguy]

Not content to just gut spending on education during the last legislative session, the GOP controlled state government also cut so deeply into Medicaid and Medicare funding that rest homes are closing, leaving elderly patients and their families scrambling to find care. And, there's more cuts coming if the current Lege doesn't restore funding, an unlikely event.

Of course, state subsidies and tax breaks for corporations go right on unabated.

Screw the old and infirm. They should have planned better, huh?



1:01 am - January 17, 2013 — Updated: 1:01 am - January 17, 2013
Gunter’s Hilltop Haven closing doors March 16

"...The decision to close Hilltop Haven, Scott said, came after “significant, on-going financial losses.” She explained, the Gunter facility gets much of its revenue from Medicaid, and recent cuts have decreased that funding..."

http://heralddemocrat.com/sections/news/local/gunter’s-hilltop-haven-closing-doors-march-16.html


THCA: House and Senate Budget Blueprints Shortchange Texas Seniors' Nursing Home Care, Ignore Last Session's $58 Million Medicaid Cut, Disregard Ongoing Budget Chaos In Washington

Published: Tuesday, 15 Jan 2013 | 1:43 PM ET

"AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the wake of Texas' nursing homes already scrambling to absorb $58 million in Medicaid cuts from the 82nd legislative session, $234 million in 2012 Medicare cuts with the threat of more in 2013, and nearly $1 billion in cumulative state underfunding according to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), the Texas Health Care Association (THCA) said the budget blueprints put out by the House and Senate shortchange the rising care needs of Texas' oldest, most vulnerable citizens..."


THCA: House and Senate Budget Blueprints Shortchange Texas Seniors' Nursing Home Care, Ignore Last Session's $58 Million Medicaid Cut, Disregard Ongoing Budget Chaos In Washington

 

[OODA_Loop]

Can't spend what you don't have.

 

[tjvh]

Greece... Coming to a neighborhood near you.

 

[Oldguy]

Can't spend what you don't have.

It's not that the state doesn't have the money; it's that they spend it on something else...like tax breaks and subsidies to corporations.

It's a matter of priorities and the poor and elderly just aren't a very high priority for the GOP.

 

[whitehall]

Get it right. Hussein cut Medicaid to fund his 3,000 page monstrosity that nobody read. For some reason libs believe that the Dept of Education actually educates people and the Dept of Energy furnishes energy etc. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Dept of education is a bloated bureaucracy that is in the business of creating stacks of regulations that impede education and the Dept Energy does the same thing to energy prices. Libs think government jobs stimulate the economy when all they do is shift confiscated money around. It's a zero sum gain. The federal government should not be an employment agency. Cut the dept of education in half and there won't be a ripple in the sub standard union based education system.

 

[OODA_Loop]

It's a matter of priorities and the poor and elderly just aren't a very high priority for the GOP.

Yes they hate children, rainbows and kitty cats too

 

[Oldguy]

It's a matter of priorities and the poor and elderly just aren't a very high priority for the GOP.

Yes they hate children, rainbows and kitty cats too

Probably so. What isn't questionable is that they love business more than the citizens of Texas. While Medicaid, Medicare and education are grossly underfunded, subsidies and tax breaks to businesses amounted about $19 billion just last year, which figures out to roughly 51 cents of each dollar spent in the state budget.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/us/winners-and-losers-in-texas.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0


I would say anybody would have a hard time justifying that, but I see that the righties and Nutter's are assiduously avoiding this thread. 48 views, but only 7 comments, 3 of which are mine. They won't even attempt a justification because there isn't one...is there?

 

[martybegan]

It's a matter of priorities and the poor and elderly just aren't a very high priority for the GOP.

Yes they hate children, rainbows and kitty cats too

Probably so. What isn't questionable is that they love business more than the citizens of Texas. While Medicaid, Medicare and education are grossly underfunded, subsidies and tax breaks to businesses amounted about $19 billion just last year, which figures out to roughly 51 cents of each dollar spent in the state budget.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/us/winners-and-losers-in-texas.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0


I would say anybody would have a hard time justifying that, but I see that the righties and Nutter's are assiduously avoiding this thread. 48 views, but only 7 comments, 3 of which are mine. They won't even attempt a justification because there isn't one...is there?

So all these old people are naturally going to be tossed out on the street to die?

I doubt it.

What is probably more jarring to democrats is people losing health service jobs, government funded health service jobs. And we all know what party government funded workers usually vote for, right?

 

[OKTexas]

Reducing base line increases in school funding is hardly gutting education. There has been an increase in spending every year, some wanted to spend even less, some wants much more, just proves ya can't make everyone happy.

 

[Oldguy]

So all these old people are naturally going to be tossed out on the street to die?

I doubt it.

No, probably not. But most of them will end up at the remaining facilities, which will result in overcrowding and probably insufficient staff, or they'll wind up being taken home by their families who most likely will not have the skills, training or equipment to meet their unique needs or deal with life-threatening emergencies.

I've been through that with my wife's 89 year old aunt and can tell you from personal experience that her frequent medical emergencies, which we could not handle, resulted in numerous ambulance rides to the ER for lack of any other option. That's pretty expensive and guess who commonly gets billed for that? Yep...Medicare or Medicaid.

So, where's the savings?

What is probably more jarring to democrats is people losing health service jobs, government funded health service jobs. And we all know what party government funded workers usually vote for, right?

That's not the subject of this thread.

 

[Oldguy]

Reducing base line increases in school funding is hardly gutting education. There has been an increase in spending every year, some wanted to spend even less, some wants much more, just proves ya can't make everyone happy.

Not so. State spending on education was $4 billion less than the previous budget.

 

[martybegan]

So all these old people are naturally going to be tossed out on the street to die?

I doubt it.

No, probably not. But most of them will end up at the remaining facilities, which will result in overcrowding and probably insufficient staff, or they'll wind up being taken home by their families who most likely will not have the skills, training or equipment to meet their unique needs or deal with life-threatening emergencies.

I've been through that with my wife's 89 year old aunt and can tell you from personal experience that her frequent medical emergencies, which we could not handle, resulted in numerous ambulance rides to the ER for lack of any other option. That's pretty expensive and guess who commonly gets billed for that? Yep...Medicare or Medicaid.

So, where's the savings?

What is probably more jarring to democrats is people losing health service jobs, government funded health service jobs. And we all know what party government funded workers usually vote for, right?

That's not the subject of this thread.

But a possible reason for democratic whining on the subject.

 

[WillowTree]

Not content to just gut spending on education during the last legislative session, the GOP controlled state government also cut so deeply into Medicaid and Medicare funding that rest homes are closing, leaving elderly patients and their families scrambling to find care. And, there's more cuts coming if the current Lege doesn't restore funding, an unlikely event.

Of course, state subsidies and tax breaks for corporations go right on unabated.

Screw the old and infirm. They should have planned better, huh?



1:01 am - January 17, 2013 — Updated: 1:01 am - January 17, 2013
Gunter’s Hilltop Haven closing doors March 16

"...The decision to close Hilltop Haven, Scott said, came after “significant, on-going financial losses.” She explained, the Gunter facility gets much of its revenue from Medicaid, and recent cuts have decreased that funding..."

http://heralddemocrat.com/sections/news/local/gunter’s-hilltop-haven-closing-doors-march-16.html


THCA: House and Senate Budget Blueprints Shortchange Texas Seniors' Nursing Home Care, Ignore Last Session's $58 Million Medicaid Cut, Disregard Ongoing Budget Chaos In Washington

Published: Tuesday, 15 Jan 2013 | 1:43 PM ET

"AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the wake of Texas' nursing homes already scrambling to absorb $58 million in Medicaid cuts from the 82nd legislative session, $234 million in 2012 Medicare cuts with the threat of more in 2013, and nearly $1 billion in cumulative state underfunding according to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), the Texas Health Care Association (THCA) said the budget blueprints put out by the House and Senate shortchange the rising care needs of Texas' oldest, most vulnerable citizens..."


THCA: House and Senate Budget Blueprints Shortchange Texas Seniors' Nursing Home Care, Ignore Last Session's $58 Million Medicaid Cut, Disregard Ongoing Budget Chaos In Washington

so the cuts were made by obama,, and the state cannot afford obama's plan, and so your answer is to demonize.. huh? it's not as if you morons weren't warned that the affordable care act was well,,,,,,un affordable.

 

[WillowTree]

Can't spend what you don't have.

It's not that the state doesn't have the money; it's that they spend it on something else...like tax breaks and subsidies to corporations.

It's a matter of priorities and the poor and elderly just aren't a very high priority for the GOP.

listen ass hole, tax breaks for corporations means jobs for Texans, jobs, that's something obummer doesn't worry about. what with his sustained 7,8% unemployment and all.

 

[Mad Scientist]

I would say anybody would have a hard time justifying that, but I see that the righties and Nutter's are assiduously avoiding this thread. 48 views, but only 7 comments, 3 of which are mine. They won't even attempt a justification because there isn't one...is there?

MoldGuy must have bathed in Agent Orange when he was in Nam. You taking any Medication that may interfere with your ability to safely own a Rifle or a Handgun? You know Homeland Security views people like you as a threat. Maybe Obama wants to look in your Medical Records and find out?
From your article:

The decision to close Hilltop Haven, Scott said, came after “significant, on-going financial losses.” She explained, the Gunter facility gets much of its revenue from Medicaid, and recent cuts have decreased that funding. The problem has been compounded, she said, by a desire among potential residents and their families to be more conveniently located to hospitals and increased competition.

So it was bleeding money to begin with and other places opened up that were cheaper and better so it started losing patients.

Maybe Obama should just pass one of his Magic Executive Orders and make it all better huh?

 

[blackhawk]

We really need some new talking points on here this one is very tired and boring.

 

[Oldguy]

THCA: House and Senate Budget Blueprints Shortchange Texas Seniors' Nursing Home Care, Ignore Last Session's $58 Million Medicaid Cut, Disregard Ongoing Budget Chaos In Washington

Published: Tuesday, 15 Jan 2013 | 1:43 PM ET

"AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the wake of Texas' nursing homes already scrambling to absorb $58 million in Medicaid cuts from the 82nd legislative session, $234 million in 2012 Medicare cuts with the threat of more in 2013, and nearly $1 billion in cumulative state underfunding according to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), the Texas Health Care Association (THCA) said the budget blueprints put out by the House and Senate shortchange the rising care needs of Texas' oldest, most vulnerable citizens..."


THCA: House and Senate Budget Blueprints Shortchange Texas Seniors' Nursing Home Care, Ignore Last Session's $58 Million Medicaid Cut, Disregard Ongoing Budget Chaos In Washington]

so the cuts were made by obama,, and the state cannot afford obama's plan, and so your answer is to demonize.. huh? it's not as if you morons weren't warned that the affordable care act was well,,,,,,un affordable.

Let me see if I can help your misunderstanding by emboldening the relevant words and phrases.

 

[Oldguy]

I would say anybody would have a hard time justifying that, but I see that the righties and Nutter's are assiduously avoiding this thread. 48 views, but only 7 comments, 3 of which are mine. They won't even attempt a justification because there isn't one...is there?

MoldGuy must have bathed in Agent Orange when he was in Nam. You taking any Medication that may interfere with your ability to safely own a Rifle or a Handgun? You know Homeland Security views people like you as a threat. Maybe Obama wants to look in your Medical Records and find out?
From your article:

The decision to close Hilltop Haven, Scott said, came after “significant, on-going financial losses.” She explained, the Gunter facility gets much of its revenue from Medicaid, and recent cuts have decreased that funding. The problem has been compounded, she said, by a desire among potential residents and their families to be more conveniently located to hospitals and increased competition.

So it was bleeding money to begin with and other places opened up that were cheaper and better so it started losing patients.

Maybe Obama should just pass one of his Magic Executive Orders and make it all better huh?

I didn't say underfunding was the ONLY problem.

And, for the benefit you low information voters, the President of the United States does not have the authority to "fix" a state problem. Geez...that's civics 101.

 

[Oldguy]

We really need some new talking points on here this one is very tired and boring.

You mean like the relentless OMG! OBAMA! talking points we're exposed to every day?

Sorry if you don't like to confront the truth. I know truth is poison to right wingers, but I'll keep on posting it anyhow. You don't have to look.

 

[blackhawk]

We really need some new talking points on here this one is very tired and boring.

You mean like the relentless OMG! OBAMA! talking points we're exposed to every day?

Sorry if you don't like to confront the truth. I know truth is poison to right wingers, but I'll keep on posting it anyhow. You don't have to look.

No you post liberal talking points not the truth just because you happen to believe the talking points you post does not make them true you feel free to keep posting them and I will feel free to call them what they are.