Jan Brewer Medicaid Cuts Have Arizona Governor Under Fire

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) commented recently on the cuts to her state's Health Care Cost Containment System, which have imperiled the lives of some patients in need of an organ transplant. Brewer said that people branding the cuts as a real-life incarnation of "death panels" should be asking the federal government to send more money -- a perhaps surprising position from someone who continues to oppose the federal health care reform legislation passed earlier this year.

Brewer has declined to hold a special session to reinstate the funds, a refusal that leaves some patients' lives hanging in the balance.

Britain's Channel 4 reports on a recent encounter with Gov. Brewer regarding the matter:

"How many people have to die before you are prepared to reverse your decision on the transplant operations?" seemed like the obvious question.

She said she thought that was unfair and started to explain how dire the state's financial situation is. If people are so worried about the transplant patients then they should ask the federal government in Washington to send us more money, she said. But she would not explain to me, or to any Democrats in the state capitol, what she has done with the nearly $200 million she was already given in 'stimulus funds' to spend on anything she liked.

A report from the Arizona Republic last week provides some insight in to what Brewer has spent most of that stimulus money on.

"Arizona simply doesn't have the money," Brewer told Channel 4's Sarah Smith when asked why it appeared that she was willing to risk the lives of endangered patients all for the purpose of slashing the $1.4 million transplant program amid $1 billion Medicaid budget shortfalls. A recent report suggested that Brewer's insistence that this specific program would be an effective one to disband is based on "flawed data."

The recommendation that Arizonans lobby the federal government for additional dollars also appears strange, not only because of a seeming message against fiscal austerity, but due to Brewer's ongoing opposition to Obama's health care reform law, which would in fact provide exactly the kind of federal dollars she says the state needs to reinstate the transplant program. As ThinkProgress points out, the Affordable Care Act would "foot 100 percent of the bill for states to expand [Medicaid] until 2016 and 90 percent after 2020" for states that are able to "maintain current eligibility levels in Medicaid and CHIP."

The Brewer Administration, however, recently claimed that it had been forced to cut the transplant program because the health care reform overhaul had prevented the state from being able "save cash by making it harder to qualify" for Medicaid.

WATCH Channel 4's segment on "death by budget cuts":

Comments

[localwonk]

05:03 PM on 01/07/2011

Yet another biased report from the Huffington Post. Governor Brewer's statements are entirely consistent with her opposition to Obamacare. Medicare is driving the states deep into deficits with their mandatory benefits which must increase in state funding year after year. States now face no choice but to scale back the additional benefits they added just to fund the standard increases. Given this stark reality, Governor Brewer is correct in opposing the massive fiscal burden of Obamacare.

This example shows the proof that government run healthcare is a failure. The private sector is the only way to succeed and the sooner tort reform and other consumer oriented measures pass the better.

Also, the Robert's court repeal of Obamacare couldn't come soon enough.

[RedStateDem]

01:31 PM on 01/07/2011

Jan Brewer fits the Republican mold of "affable dunce," except for the fact that she is not affable. When you dig deep enough, you learn that the whole Arizona anti-immigrant policy was written by lobbyists for Corrections Corporation of America, which would like to fill Arizona's private for-profit prisons with detainees awaiting shipment to their home countries. Brewer's top advisor Paul Senseman, used to be a lobbyist for CCA. His wife still is. Brewer's chief political strategist, Chuch Coughlin, is also chief strategist for CCA. Russell Pearce, the neo-nazi sympathizing president of the Arizona State Senate, had the verbiage for SB1070 handed to him by CCA.

Rather than attacking Arizona's real problems (jobs, education, balancing the budget), we get death panels and Brewer and Pearce railing against immigrants.

Part of the irony is when Brewer says the feds should send more money, she is refusing to use any of the $732 million in discretionary funs she's already received from the White House. Oddly, she has budgeted $55 million of that to go toward Arizona's private prisons. Smell the stink?

[Windsock]

12:10 PM on 01/07/2011

YIPPIE!
Lets give billions more to people who DON'T need it.

[larkinrdl]

10:58 AM on 01/07/2011

The law of reaction is a mighty power for good or bad in the lives of all human beings. Good actions lead to good reactions. Bad actions lead to bad reactions. As you give, so you receive. I don't know how someone like Jan Brewer can look herself in the mirror everyday and think she is doing the right thing. The law of reaction is a natural law. It is not a man-made law that can be changed. She has decided that money is more important that human lives.

[skylark]

06:11 PM on 01/05/2011

Jan Brewer is a cold hearted murderer, IMO. "If people are so worried about the transplant patients..." she says sarcastically. This country is presenting a spectacle of callousness to the world.

[Thelmall]

04:42 AM on 12/18/2010

My state took a similar measure and we are not over run with illegals. Same kind of horror stories. We have also closed some schools trying to remain solvent.....

http://radialabsenhacer.wordpress.com

[zigzag1]

10:58 PM on 12/17/2010

If only those needing transplants were still in the uterus or in a persistent vegetative state, a special session of congress would be called, Dr Frist would opine by long distance, and George Bush would jump in to save their lives. Too bad the are just alive.

[godipo]

01:35 AM on 12/28/2010

Oh, you make such a good point. Yes, Jan, these people are alive, or were. The contradictions are so rampant, and the indifference to life so transparent, that it can make one feel hopeless; can a person like Jan Brewer see anything but her political success as important?

[Sophiedo]

04:57 PM on 12/17/2010

Brewer is bad for Arizona.

[constantcomments]

02:55 PM on 12/17/2010

Quote:
If people are so worried about the transplant patients then they should ask the federal government in Washington to send us more money, she said.


What about you, Govenor? Does this mean you don't care about transplant patients, since the rest of us do?

I guess since most people on Medicaid are minorities and poor this would be a good way to get rid of some of those not so worthy folks. You may be a dim bulb but that's actually a good idea-- in your nasty little world.

My only concern about this is that once one person has the nerve to cross a line that hasn't been crossed before and makes a decision like that, it empowers others to follow suit. So if Blue Cross or Medicaid in Washington state starts losing money then they might decide to cut transplants from their plans too.


But maybe the folks on our side might step up the funding for stem cell research? Oh, but that may involve fetal tissue and we can't do that either, it might upset the Palins and Brewers of the world.

So if you are poor and have organ failure you had better start thinking about moving from the red and confederate states to more bluer pastures, at least for now.

[William Munny]

09:45 AM on 12/17/2010

"America, it's not what you think it is..." This video also shows why i rather watch BBC America or PBS News because they give just the facts.

[CJHAN]

09:42 AM on 12/17/2010

Talk about death panals, didnt sarah support the person.

[CJHAN]

09:39 AM on 12/17/2010

All you people in Az look to your right and left and and if you cant figure out who helped get this person reelcted if you cant it was you, all the elderly I hope you dont get sick, sorry.

[rt6913]

08:37 AM on 12/17/2010

Good for her - it's time everyone realizes the days of having money for everything are over. Choices need to be made and she is standing up and actually making them. These choices are not easy by any means but the line has to be drawn somewhere and this seems logical.
It's your body and your life and your responsibility to manage it. If your body gives out due to disease or the life style you have chosen then the consequences are yours to bear - no one is denying medication or more reasonable efforts to support you through your illness - but there is no blank check to provide endless options such as transplantation. Life is precious and the preservation of such is important - but it can't be infinate.

[zigzag1]

11:02 PM on 12/17/2010

But trillions to the war machine is just dandy. And tax breaks to the billionaires to help them create more jobs like they have over the past 10 years, now that is sacred

[Appleblossom]

07:31 PM on 01/05/2011

Arizona, and the US, could have what we want if we are willing to stand up to both the very wealthy...and here is the kicker...private business.

The wealthy do not want to pay higher taxes. Oh boo hoo-almost everyone hates paying taxes. But they get more benefits from taxes then does the poor so they have to pay their proper share. (Not fair, just proper.)
If small businesses were defined to actually be a small business (a mom and pop store with one or two employees max), then we would have a better tax structure for private business. But instead we have Mom and Pop Store Inc. paying the lion share while Exxon Mobil gets a massive tax refund.

If we reformat the entire tax structure-we could easily pay for everything we want as a nation but cannot have that now-the wealthy might complain.

[dzent1]

01:14 AM on 12/17/2010

Here's the true face of the GOP, folks. All the money in the world can't buy THEM a heart. They are to be pitied, truly. We certainly won't be sending AZ any business for many a year.

[Sophiedo]

04:59 PM on 12/17/2010

Good for you!!

[charlietuna11]

12:11 AM on 12/17/2010

those in arizona knew of her intolerance, hatefullness, and her campaign speechs were filled with ugliness yet this is who arizona wanted as their gov. now if she can hire a couple of bull connor clones for her administation, she may have a chance to become time magazines person of the tear. if barry goldwater were around today, he would have much to say about a one time reputable state.