Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008

hmoroz — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:38:59 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Supports

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Number of jobs the State of California alone stands to lose as a result of lost federal Medicaid funding from the new regulations, according to Families USA: 46,700

Year when the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education and Agriculture published a report concluding that schools were the best conduit for enrolling poor children in Medicaid: 2000

Date on which the Department of Health and Human Services acted to eliminate federal funds for outreach and enrollment of children in Medicaid through schools: 12/28/2007

Number of people – predominantly mentally ill individuals – who received psychiatric and other rehabilitation services under Medicaid in 2007: 1.46 million

Estimated amount of money the federal government would save in 2009 by ceasing to cover these services: $360 million

Approximate number of hours it takes to spend $360 million on the war in Iraq: 25

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

The Middle-Class Supports. More than 55 million Americans, predominantly low-income people and people with disabilities, rely on Medicaid for their health care coverage. By halting dramatic restrictions in federal funding for Medicaid, this legislation not only ensures continued health care access for these aspiring middle-class beneficiaries but also prevents a devastating loss of funding to states, public hospitals, and local schools which are already struggling during the economic downturn. In reality, the Medicaid regulations imposed by the Bush Administration do little to reduce Medicaid costs – they simply transfer these costs from the federal government onto states, hospitals, and local governments. In an effort to cope with the added cost burden, services that benefit the middle class, from trauma care at hospitals to public education, are put at risk.

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

“Medicaid: Overview and Impact of New Regulations”, from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured

“Administration’s Medicaid Regulations Will Weaken Coverage, Harm States, And Strain Health Care System”, by Allison Orris and Judith Solomon from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities

Healthy Mothers And Healthy Babies Access To Care Act of 2004

atraub — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:51:38 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Opposes

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Percentage of the nation’s health care expenditures made up by medical malpractice premiums: 0.62%
Maximum non-economic damages payable under the provisions of this bill to a baby who will go through life completely paralyzed due to the actions of a negligent doctor: $250,000
Maximum punitive damages under the provisions of this bill imposed on a doctor who has similarly paralyzed seven other newborns through the same negligence: $250,000
Rank of “reducing jury awards in malpractice lawsuits” on the list of health care priorities for Congress and the President in 2005, according to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health: 11 out of 12
Number of times President Bush mentioned “junk” or “frivolous” lawsuits during a recent speech on health care policy: 10

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

The Middle Class Opposes: The middle class endorses a "nay" vote on the procedural question and opposes the substance of the bill. This bill, misnamed the Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act, places limits on the legal rights of pregnant women and their babies. When a baby is killed, maimed, or brain-damaged because of medical negligence or malpractice, no amount of money can truly make a family whole. Nevertheless, it is the non-economic damages (damages beyond compensation for medical bills and lost income) from a lawsuit that provide some compensation. This bill would have imposed a one-size-fits-all limit on these damages, no matter how devastating the malpractice. This hits the middle class particularly hard. High-income plaintiffs are awarded higher economic damages because they lose more money from being unable to work. Thus for low- and middle-income victims, non-economic damages, which consider pain and suffering and quality of life, make up a larger proportion of the whole award. It is that prospect that enables middle income people to attract legal support that they would be unable to afford if they were required to pay hourly rates. In addition, the threat of significant liability helps deter hospitals from cutting corners on safety and stops pharmaceutical corporations from selling drugs they know to be dangerous. While the bill’s proponents argue that it would lower the cost of malpractice insurance for obstetricians, there is no evidence linking high malpractice insurance premiums to the cost of lawsuits. In fact, insurance industry representatives have said that they would not commit to lowering insurance rates if medical malpractice bills like this one are passed.

Hospitals

Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Healthy Mothers And Healthy Babies Access To Care Act of 2004

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources