By: UNITEAMERICANS

UNITEAMERICANS — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:12:53 +0000

Reports of fraud / “lost stimulus funds” were noted on CNN for Michigan.
CUT CUT CUT – American taxpayers are an endangered species. Communities that have a low federal/state income tax input will be punished. People who are using all the welfare programs may think they are getting a “free ride” on Uncle Sam. Nope. Businesses will close, never to reopen. New business is not coming. High welfare enrolled communities schools are not funded, which means no one wants to live in your community which means housing values are driven down. This is what creates & keeps the cycle of poverty & the only way out of it is to get away from welfare/social programs. Create community networks that keep your money in your communities – instead of the big corporations like Walmart.

By: tea4meplz

tea4meplz — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 18:08:58 +0000

Hm…this is interesting. I am a former Medicaid-insured citizen. My family's coverage was canceled almost six months ago due to a “computer glitch”. I decided not to reapply right away – I was planning a move to another county and, even though it's a state-funded program, the program requires you to reside in the county in which you receive/apply for the benefits.
A bit more history before I get to the interesting part. I am a single mother with four children. My oldest son, who is 16, resides with his father and I pay child support to his father through the court. The other three live with me and he pays me for them. His support account (him to me) was in arrears almost $8000 at the time my family's Medicaid was canceled. Mine (to him) is in good standing. I received only Medicaid from the state and the state did not take my child support payments while my family was receiving benefits.
I was aware of a large payment on the arrears being made on the child support account through Friend of the Court, and I desperately needed it. A few days after this payment was made I got less than half of what was expected. I called FOC and they stated that my money had gone to the STATE OF MICHIGAN due to the fact that I had received Medicaid in the past and I was required to pay it back; however, I apparently cannot receive any information on what I owe because I was told “I” don't owe it…the other party does and that “it was money owed to me and now it's money owed to the state”. I couldn't resist asking that if it was money that “I” would have otherwise gotten then how is it not “me” that owes it.
It gets better. Apparently the state is claiming that the responsibility for medicaid services has shifted from myself to my ex. I just don't understand how if he owed the money to FOC for child support anyway then how can they not see that they are, in fact, taking it from me. I was told that the only reason I got a portion of the arrears is because that money was “due to me” and from this point on, every payment made to my account through FOC on the arrears will go directly to the State of Michigan.
So, in conclusion, I am reimbursing the state for Medicaid services. I can't see how we could possibly have spent that much but I have no right to a statement, because technically “I” don't owe the money. The other party has no right to a statement because the Medicaid case does not involve him. So my thought on this is if citizens are required to reimburse the state for medical services upon discontinuation of those services, how much are we reimbursing? The actual dollar-for-dollar amount? Or the 25% the State of Michigan contributes.
I guess I will have to get an attorney to get anywhere with this. I don't mind paying what I owe but I am currently unemployed, living off odd jobs, and I have a medical condition that would render me useless without a prescription (there is no generic available and Medicaid would not cover it). I would just like to be able to see what is owed, how much has been paid to date, and have the state follow the same rules that are set for anyone else who does a garnishment.
I DEPEND on that income. I DO NOT want to apply to the state for assistance. Soon I feel I will have no choice. Not just medical this time either. I will need financial help.
With them taking my support, I have no medical and can't afford to buy it, I have no money for food or any other necessities now. My savings are dwindling to the point where I will have to start selling my assets if I cannot find a job – just so I can pay rent for the small apartment we have.
The issue is NOT just medical coverage for the uninsured. Medicaid, apparently, is a receive first, pay later service. I would be willing to bet that I am paying ALL of it back and not just the state's 25%. I dare suggest that if this program be expanded, the state could really stand to gain in both federal dollars and reimbursements.

By: DisgustedDemNoMore

DisgustedDemNoMore — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 04:38:10 +0000

Don't worry, Obamacare will solve all the states' problems – NOT! If people think the problem is bad now, just wait until Obamacare kicks in, then people will find out what bad really is.

By: NativeandProud

NativeandProud — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 11:55:03 +0000

So when this was budgeted last year, where did the funds go that were for this program? Who put it somewhere else? Now there is no funds to go there. Was the budget empty for this line item? So a false budget would have been submitted and approved. Hmm

By: Wellescent Health

Wellescent Health — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:14:00 +0000

These cuts are pretty severe and will certainly make the lives of the ill even worse than they already are. The fact that making these state cuts results in a multiplication factor of 4 on the overall reduction in funding suggests that alternatives really need to be investigated.

Comments on: State health care access may get worse before it gets better

By: UNITEAMERICANS

By: tea4meplz

By: DisgustedDemNoMore

By: NativeandProud

By: Wellescent Health