SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
December 29, 2016
Sullivan’s
Salvos 1/3/17
In this edition:
*Welcome to 2017!
*Welcome Kurt!
*Medicaid Managed Care
*Medicaid, Part 2
*Minimum Wage Reminder!
*Did You Know?
*Welcome to 2017!
Happy
New Year! Here’s to a better and brighter year ahead! I have never been big on
New Year’s resolutions – you can see that by my weight! But I certainly welcome
the “fresh start” feel of the New Year. I hope 2017 is good to you and yours!
*Welcome Kurt!
Kurt
Friese has joins the Board of Supervisors as of January 3rd. A
Democrat, Kurt was elected back in November along with Lisa Green Douglass and
myself.
I
look forward to working with Kurt. I didn’t know him particularly well until he
started running for office, but I have learned that he is smart, thoughtful,
articulate, and progressive. I look forward to working with him! Welcome
aboard, Kurt!
*Medicaid Managed Care
I
wrote the following in August of 2015. I wish I had been wrong!
Medicaid just celebrated its’ 50th birthday. Medicaid
and Medicare were among the greatest achievements in the history of our great
nation. Health care for the poor… we have been called to provide this at least
since Jesus walked the earth. The US finally got around to it in 1965.
Iowa will soon be embarking upon a system of “managed care” for
folks enrolled in Iowa’s Medicaid program. I do NOT believe this will be a good
thing for our poorest residents.
Managed
care is a pretty simple notion. The idea is that healthcare is full of waste
and fraud, and managed care companies will root that out. Without all this
waste and fraud, the costs will go down.
The
problem is, managed care companies rarely root out waste or fraud. They take an
easier route. They simply cap services, and let the rest of the healthcare
system sort it out. The managed care companies make their millions, and
patients and providers fight over what is left. In my opinion, managed care is
nothing more than a transfer of public tax dollars to private companies who are
GUARANTEED to hurt the poor. Rather than being encouraged, managed care by
private companies should be illegal. But that is not the environment in which
we live.
Allow
me to back up a moment. Medicaid (often referred to as Title 19) is the federal
program that provides government health insurance to our poorest residents. Medicaid
was passed in 1965 as an addition to the Social Security Act, a key component
in President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty”.
While the vast majority of the funding for Medicaid is federal,
each state pays a portion based upon the relative wealth of that state.
Connecticut pays the most, Mississippi the least. Iowa is in the top half when
it comes to relative wealth; in fact, our state match just went up because of
the recent good years enjoyed by the ag industry.
Over time, states have argued for and received greater flexibility
in designing state Medicaid programs. This is where the managed care concept
began, and how it is spreading to states with Republican governors. In
fairness, over the years, Medicaid has become a bigger and bigger piece of each
state’s budget.
While many conservatives will try to tell you Medicaid has “not
worked,” the reality is a very different story. In fact, 72 million Americans
received some type of Medicaid service last year, almost 1 in 4. These services
were provided at an average cost lower than private insurance, and at an
average administrative cost MUCH lower than private insurance.
Will
managed care improve things? No, it will not. Unless you own one of the firms
that is about to suck millions of our tax dollars from our poorest residents.
If you own one of those, you’ll be fine.
*Medicaid, Part 2
I
used to work in the Iowa Medicaid program. Even though that was several years
ago, I know Iowa Medicaid pretty well. That is why the Republican’s privatization
scheme upsets me so much.
I
understand who is on Medicaid. (About one in six Iowans; almost half of them
children.) I also understand how poor they are. (To be eligible, an individual
can only earn up to $11,491 per year.) And I understand how vulnerable they
are. (Most nursing home residents are on Medicaid.)
Medicaid
really, truly serves our most vulnerable citizens. Without this help, these
people die. That is not made up. It is real.
Governor
Branstad and Republicans in the Iowa Legislature have voted to give millions of
our tax dollars to out of state corporations while poor Iowans get sicker and
die. You may call that hyperbole, but I disagree. The fact is, when Medicaid is
cut, poor people get sicker and die more quickly. It is proven. Any ignorance
here is willful ignorance. They voted to hurt poor people. Period. What they
voted for was evil.
Evil
is a strong word. But what word would you use to describe someone who took away
nursing home care from a sick elderly woman? What word would you use to
describe someone who kept a sick baby from getting tubes in her ears? What word
would you use to describe someone who left a poor man with an IQ of 40 on the
street to eat from the trashcans? If you knowingly voted to make this happen? I
call it evil.
This
“experiment” is not working, just as experts warned. The Republicans in the
Legislature not only put money ahead of people – they do that several times
every day. But this time, they chose to pick on the weakest, poorest, least
able to fight back. It is simply deplorable.
There
is still time to fix this debacle. And fix it they should! The major cuts have
not yet hit. The Managed Care Companies (MCOs) are begging for millions more;
simply tell them no!
They may not get their just desserts electorally. They may go on
to win many more elections. But I am convinced that someday they will be judged
harshly. And I imagine it will be harsher than anything handed down by Iowa
voters.
*Minimum Wage Reminder!
The third increase in Johnson County’s
minimum wage took effect Sunday, January 1, 2017, taking it to $10.10 per hour.
Covered employers are required to pay
the higher of the current federal minimum wage (29 U.S.C. Section 206), the
current state minimum (Iowa Code Chapter 91D) or the Johnson County wage.
Currently, the wage set forth in the Johnson County ordinance is the highest of
those three, but this may not always be the case. Any employer subject to the
requirements of the State minimum wage must follow the County minimum wage,
unless the local city council has passed a counter ordinance.
The ordinance affects not only
businesses that have a location in Johnson County, but also those whose
employees perform work in Johnson County. Ordinances in individual
municipalities may vary.
Employers and employees can learn more about the ordinance
and its requirements at www.johnson-county.com/wage.
Questions about the ordinance may be
directed to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors at 319-356-6000 or
sups@co.johnson.ia.us.
*DID YOU KNOW?
The largest group covered by Medicaid is children, which accounts for
43% of the enrollees. (Source: Health Care Finance Administration.)
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
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come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
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As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 11:23 AM
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