Grandma's House

I voted for Matt Blunt for Governor of our state. I thought he'd do a better job than his opponent. And he has, until now. Now, he's getting carried away:

Republican senators say Gov. Matt Blunt's plan to remove more than 100,000 people from Medicaid is an intermediate step to revamping what they call a bloated and broken government health care system for the poor. Democrats labored into early Tuesday morning to delay a vote on a bill that would enable much of the governor's plan. Republican legislative leaders planned to resume debate later Tuesday and bring the bill to a vote.

He doesn't even want to wait for the report from the commission put together to study the Medicaid problem. I have a real problem with what he's trying to do. I'm sure there are a lot of people who don't really need to be on Medicaid. They could perhaps set up an intermediate program to wean them off the dole and back into productive society. However, there are a lot of people who desperately need what Medicaid provides for them. And they may lose their benefits.

Among other things, the bill would authorize a reduction in the eligibility threshold for the disabled and elderly, currently set at the federal poverty level of $9,570 for an individual. Blunt's plan would cut that maximum income threshold to about $7,082 annually; a House appropriations committee endorsed a plan that would set the threshold at $8,135 per year.

Do you realize what this means? A person making 7,082 dollars a year -- that's only $590 a month, people! I get more than that on my Social Security Disability check (not a lot more, but more). I could conceivably lose my Medicaid. That would force me to pay for my doctor's visits, my medications, my therapy. When the time comes I need a wheelchair, I'm on my own. Do you know how much it costs for oxygen therapy? Minimum of $300.00 a month. Plus supplies. Plus my three medications I have to take. Plus weekly therapy visits and a trip to the doctor's office every three months, or when I get sick, whichever comes first. I'd like to see his plan for me to be able to pay that!