posted by Attorney Pope-Onwukwe at
7:20 AM
About
This BLOG has links to websites that may be of interest to you.
Previous
Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]
This BLOG has links to websites that may be of interest to you.
Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]
2 Comments:
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
SUPPORT THE OVERRIDE OF THE VETO OF SENATE BILL 819!
In last year’s Maryland General Assembly, Senate Bill 819 passed both the House of Delegates and the Senate by overwhelming margins; it was then vetoed by Governor Ehrlich.
Senate Bill 819 was designed to re-open and expand eligibility for the Older Adults Medicaid Waiver program. This is the Medicaid program that allows people who would otherwise be in nursing homes to receive long term care services either at home or in Assisted Living. Not only do most people prefer this, but the State saves money because most of the time it costs less to provide care at home or in Assisted Living than in a nursing home.
Since May 1, 2003, the waiver has been closed to new enrollment from the community. Since that time, except for replacing people who have died or moved to nursing homes (about 500-600/year), the only way to get services through this program is to go to a nursing home and get on Medicaid, then leave the nursing home and get services in the community.
There are over 6,000 people on a waiting list statewide. People at the top of the list in May 2003 are only now being called. Senate Bill 819 would increase the number of available slots for the program with the funds coming from savings to the Medicaid program. The savings come mostly from people leaving nursing homes to go back to the community; savings may also come from a pilot project, created under the bill, to apply managed care to the long term care system. Before final passage, a number of amendments to the bill were added to guarantee consumers and providers that the quality of long term care services under the managed care pilot project would not be reduced.
Senate Bill 819 is good for Marylanders because:
$ It increases the number of people who can receive long term care services in the community without having to go to a nursing home first.
$ It allows people to receive long term care services in the community by using a different and simpler medical eligibility standard than for those in nursing homes.
$ It lets people qualify for the program if their income is simply less than the Medicaid reimbursement rate for nursing homes (about $4,000/month), and provides protection from spousal impoverishment.
$ It requires the State to provide a single place for people to go to be able to get service from this program.
After the Governor vetoed Senate Bill 819, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) came out with a plan to put ALL long term care services in Maryland into a managed care program.
DHMH’s managed care for long term care plan is bad for Marylanders because:
$ Only people whose income is below $564/month will be able to receive long term care services in the community without going to a nursing home first and spending all of their money there.
$ It does not provide adequate quality assurance for consumers or enough money for providers to ensure that consumers will get quality care.
$ It will put all state Medical Assistance long term care under managed care, a concept that has not been successfully tested or tried anywhere else in the country. And, this managed care program will take effect state-wide immediately and permanently. Only one other state has implemented a program state-wide, without starting as a pilot project, and this program has been successfully sued three times in the last 20 years for failing to spend sufficiently for patient care.
$ It is impossible to give a managed care company less money than is now spent by Medicaid on patients, have them make a profit AND have them provide either the quantity or quality of services that patients now receive. Less is not more, less is less.
A vote on whether to override the Governor’s veto of Senate Bill 819 will be the first order of business when the Assembly meets again. It is IMPERATIVE that the veto be overridden!
PLEASE contact your Delegates and Senator and urge them to vote to override the veto of Senate Bill 819. Also contact:
Hon. Michael E. Busch, Speaker
House of Delegates
State House H-101
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
410-841-3800, 301-858-3800
Hon. John A. Hurson, Chair
Health and Government Operations Committee
Lowe House Office Building, Room 161
84 College Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
410-841-3770, 301-858-3770
Hon. Peter A. Hammen, Vice Chair
Health and Government Operations Committee
Lowe House Office Building, Room 161
84 College Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
410-841-3772, 301-858-3772
By
Attorney Pope-Onwukwe, At
9:41 PM
buy tramadol without a script tramadol 50 mg medicine - tramadol hcl drug class
By
Anonymous, At
3:58 PM
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home