17 Democratic Governors Launch Preemptive Strike Against Paul Ryan's Medicaid Proposal

WASHINGTON -- Seventeen Democratic governors have signed and sent a letter to congressional leaders stating their firm opposition to a Medicaid reform proposal championed by House Republicans.

The letter, sent on Monday, is a preemptive strike of sorts against House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) before he unveils a 2012 budget proposal that is expected to endorse turning Medicaid into a block grant program.

“We strongly oppose a congressionally-mandated block grant of federal Medicaid spending, which would shift costs and risk to states,” the governors wrote. “Such a cost shift would severely undercut our ability to provide health care to our residents and adequately pay providers.”

Added the signatories: “We are concerned that Congress, in an attempt to reduce the federal deficit, may pursue the exact opposite course of action by creating a mandated block grant which would do little to address cost growth while shifting costs to states and threatening program integrity.”

A shift from current policy to a block grant system would drastically alter the way that state governments administer Medicaid. Under current law, the federal government matches a percentage of the money that states spend on Medicaid. That percentage was upped by the 2009 stimulus legislation in response to the heavy debt burdens facing states.

A block grant program would essentially cap the amount of federal Medicaid money to states, so that in lean times states might have to make drastic cuts -- or hike taxes -- rather then lean on Washington, D.C. While Ryan and others have argued that taxpayers stand to save a good deal of money from such a move, the governors' letter argued that the end result would be 50 far more difficult balancing acts.

“in the face of state and federal budget pressures and rising health care costs, we need federal policy that creates cost savings, not cost shifting,” the governors wrote. “States are already innovating within Medicaid, and the current financing system provides ample room to manage our Medicaid programs to provide increasingly efficient quality care.”

All 17 signatories are Democrats, though notably absent from the list is New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The Hill initially reported the letter's existence, but The Huffington Post obtained the letter exclusively from a Democratic source.

MedicaidLetter

Comments

[a n n e]

06:15 PM on 05/25/2011

Medicare coupons/vouchers is just another way to pay for-profit insurance companies. Insurance companies are in the profit business NOT the health care business.

The greatest concern I have is the willingness of our elected officials to ignore the need for actual TAX reform. If you benefit from our society by increasing your wealth, you owe that society part of your benefit.
The long-term lie that tax cuts create jobs needs to be challenged 100% of the time.

[dbsherri]

03:04 PM on 04/08/2011

You never know when the tide will turn and you are faced with what I've been facing all my life. I was able to work for most of it, but at 40, could no longer do so due to inoperable spinal tumors.

I depend on Medicare.


Unfortunately, because we’re such a results driven society, many people’s first reaction when they hear that someone is ill is to “figure out” a way to “fix” it. Sometimes, all the sick person wants is an ear, not answers. But few people know how to let a sick person just be. Strong or not. Happy or not. In pain or not. That is the way, of course, we should all live our lives.

But when you lose your health and your wealth, there is no other choice. And you better believe life turns on a dime. Not even.

So take advantage of legs that can walk, run and jump, arms that can lift and hug, toes that can wiggle, fingers that can write, and point, eyes that can see, ears that can hear and all the rest of it. Use it. Enjoy it. If you believe in a higher power, give thanks for it. Pray, if you want, to always have it, but try not to feel cheated if you lose it. And remember your prayers are probably answered. They just aren’t always the answers you wanted.

http://nfpain.blogspot.com/

[kaine23]

11:34 PM on 04/05/2011

It's still the same plan Bush tried to sell, no matter how pretty a bow Ryan puts on it.

[Aldyth]

04:01 PM on 04/05/2011

I'd feel better if they scratched the Honorable designations. They aren't and it sends an absolutely delusional message.

[urMommma]

03:43 PM on 04/05/2011

Republicans want to KI.LL everyone ones grandmother and the poor! This is the true death panel!

[kyleewonder]

05:50 PM on 04/25/2011

Yes, if the charmin bunch has its way we are heading for what they believe is a super america, the land of the free to live on the street and no home for the brave, sad, sad, sad

[amaboss52]

02:15 PM on 04/05/2011

And the repugs don't think the dems should call them out for this? Go get em Democrats, it's time we hammer it home that the repuds want us to subsidize the wealthy and make the problem they created for 8 years go away.

[Pollitrix]

02:07 PM on 04/05/2011

Paul Ryan - The Human Death Panel

[Genita Love]

05:02 PM on 04/25/2011

I wonder if he's related to that butcher the nazi's used...sure looks like it to me...sick puppy!

[tvhatic]

01:46 PM on 04/05/2011

Medicare was originally created to help ease rising health care costs by taking the most expensive demographic out of the private sector. It also provided a vital service that prevented end of life care from bankrupting families.

Now the GOP is trying to put the sickest demographic back into private insurance? What do they think will happen to private insurance costs if we add millions of people who need end of life care?

We already spend over 50 percent of all medical costs during the last two years of life. If you think insurance premiums are too high now, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Now that these Repubs are seeing that medical costs are the number one driver of the federal deficit, perhaps they will understand why the public option was so vital, and why nothing can be fixed until we have a single player system.

[NYCBri]

01:40 PM on 04/05/2011

This budget solves NONE of the problems affecting us. This is merely 'Cost Shifting' not cost reduction. Move the costs off your books and onto someone else's, either the elderly themselves or the States. It's more creative accounting than courageous budgeting.

This doesn't reduce the cost of healthcare, which is a problem within the healthcare industry, not within medicare. It's just pushing costs onto the people that cannot actually afford those costs.

[kyleewonder]

05:58 PM on 04/25/2011

Did you know that the cut they made to the public medical system already a couple years ago does not pay for pain meds for seniors in nursing homes, this is incomprehensible. I took care of my mom for the last ten years of her life, I cannot imagine her ever having to go through such torment and not be able to do anything about it. There are so many seniors suffering everyday and the charmin pack and pubs want to do even more damage, SAD

[blewvelvet]

01:22 PM on 04/05/2011

How about this....Defense Spending reform!!!

[yellowdogdemocratic]

03:33 PM on 04/05/2011

And corporate welfare reform for companies that send jobs overseas. We need both now!!!

[kyleewonder]

05:59 PM on 04/25/2011

Shoot, if they just paid some taxes that would be good!!

[somewhatodd]

01:09 PM on 04/05/2011

republican block grants are just a way to cook the books and launder money.

[tagtron]

12:51 PM on 04/05/2011

Ryan wants to disguise his slashing of Medicaid as states' block grants, so that we can all get stuck paying health insurance we can't afford once we're seniors. No deficit reduction here, just more sticking it to the Middle Class with social cleansing, Bagger style

[Totto]

01:05 PM on 04/05/2011

His own version of "death panels".

[tagtron]

04:11 PM on 04/05/2011

Yep, slow and sure

[kyleewonder]

06:01 PM on 04/25/2011

Well, I will tell you, I get a whole 825 a month and a hundred of that goes to medicare that doesn't hardly pay for anything anyway, no vision or dental, trust me we already cannot afford heathcare, I dearly hope that they don't take away more so that the next generation has absolutely nothing

[sadcitizen]

12:50 PM on 04/05/2011

The message is controled to cover for this blatant destruction of the safety net for the citizens of this country.They started wars,gave huge tax cuts, did`nt pay for the prescrition drug plan that landed billions from Medicare in the hands of"Big Pharma". When you start a war it is only prudent to raise taxes to pay for it or your economy will suffer, but instead of doing the right thing it is a perfect way to keep the fear of our country going broke in the news so we will allow the dismantling to continue.

[Pollitrix]

12:33 PM on 04/05/2011

Paul Ryan the Human Death Panel

Because be sure alot more people will die with this proposal, ask Arizonians,

[PukkaDemocrat]

01:03 PM on 04/05/2011

As I said, I think we need to wait until the democrats make a counter proposal. In the worst case scenerio, if the elderly loses medicare, they'll be able to get health insurance through the ACA. Some of them may even be eligible for subsidies.

[yellowdogdemocratic]

03:36 PM on 04/05/2011

Or the elderly can beg their local church for assistance with health care costs, or try bartering with chickens with their doctor for health care. Both of these are viable "options" for health care cost reduction presented by members of the GOP. I'm not sure how a sick elderly person is going to raise chickens though.

[ehorth]

02:03 PM on 04/06/2011

The worst case scenario is that my mother, who is 77 and is VERY happy with her Kaiser Senior Advantage care through Medicare, would lose that because she couldn't pay for it all herself. Not only that, but my mother losing that very easy and well run Medicare process means that I and my family are the ones who will be doing the work of trying to get health insurance through the ACA (whatever that is - not familiar with it) as well as trying to figure out these subsidies you mention.

The point is that Medicare works because the system process is easy enough for seniors to follow when they enroll at 65 (choosing their provider, etc.), and then, they rarely have to do anything more with it other than read the government notices and MAYBE tweak their program a bit. But once it's in place, my mother, for example, never worries about it again.

All this stuff about more options, going private, etc. will just be an incredible hardship and headache for all.

[kyleewonder]

06:06 PM on 04/25/2011

Yeah, and don't forget that we don't have the right to die without suffering either. In Oregon it is legal for people who have a an incurable disease and only months to live to be prescribed a pill that will let them die in their sleep, but if a doctor prescribes it the fed gov goes after them. Mannnnnn, they don't just want you to die and reduce the surplus population they want you to suffer doing it.