YIKES-
We have a live firestorm breaking lose in TX that will and IS make natl. headlines! Its one thing to run on such anti govt things but then you come into office and suddenly find its more complex that campaigning on it. Witness my state tonight:
Our moderate Tx GOP Speaker Straus is being attacked by Christian right wingers with robocalls. The robocalls are attacking Straus for being a JEW. Straus is a Repub who has been fair to Dems and Repubs as Speaker. Some are trying to overthrow him so they can pass the opt out of Medicaid idea.
Of course the whole Medicaid issue is getting real complex for the tea baggers. The state must apply for waiver, and before that must do a study on how the state to would the poor etc and submit it to DC. Then HHS would need to review it and if acceptable Tx could get YES a fed grant for it. So wtf? Even in opting out tx would still likely get fed aid for hcr for the poor? Some think so. Madness!
Drs, nursing homes, hospitals, some businesses, and most counties likely will sue the state over the whole thing. It would throw the medical system into chaos hurting business and patients.
Now they go after the 1st Jewish Speaker of TX's faith. How moronic- wait till this one gets out. its going to be a major natl. story I bet
The ultra right wing nuts elected a few weeks ago are funding anti Jew attacks on the Speaker trying to hold onto his job. People are appalled by this- even conservatives commentators are surprised.
..Under frmr Speaker Craddick, Republicans lost ground in three elections. Under Straus, but as part of the national tidal wave, Republicans regained all the lost seats plus 11 more.
So you have major Republican gains and a widely acknowledged fair broker presiding over the House ... meaning we will see very conservative legislation this session.
Nevertheless, a handful of outside socially conservative groups are running a fairly deceitful but noisy campaign trying to pressure lawmakers who actually like the speaker’s management style to vote against him. They blame him for the failure of the sonogram bill, but the pro-life organization Texans for Life said the claim is false. They blame him for the failure of voter ID by permitting the Democratic filibuster, but that’s also false; Straus followed the direction of his colleagues in the Republican caucus.
They said that Straus appointed moderate chairman, but the budget under Straus was more fiscally conservative than the last one under Craddick.
Now the so-called grassroots effort has crossed over the line with coordinated email and robocall programs calling for a "true Christian speaker". (Straus is Jewish.)
Republicans won an enormous victory on Election Day. How they govern themselves will tell us a lot about how they intend to govern the rest of us.
And look what is going on other issues- TX GOP in lege divided on gutting Medicaid and some worried on passing anti Latino measures. the tea party radicals that won now come to a head in a civil way- a preview perhaps of what will happen in dc as well. and doctors and some gop in t he lege are not happy with leaving medicaid- note the Wyoming study showing how much higher taxes would go up without it...
Note the AMA TX plans to OPPOSE the Medicaid move in TX. Drs hate Medicaid bc the payments are terrible. But they fear the alternatives without the program in place.-
Healthcare advocates, however, are preparing to resist moves to pull out of the state-federal insurance program, which covers 3.1 million indigent beneficiaries, including 2.3 million children. The total cost of Medicaid for fiscal 2011 is $24.7 billion, with the federal government paying $16.6 billion, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission says.
"Unless our state leaders can come up with a financing plan to replace the current Medicaid structure that's even better than what we have now, I think it will ultimately end up backfiring and costing more in the long run," said Dr. Susan Bailey, a Fort Worth allergist and president of the Texas Medical Association.
Republican Rep. Mark Shelton, a Fort Worth pediatrician, said: "I think opting out of Medicaid without a viable alternative is not a good idea. We need to make sure ... the vulnerable people in our society -- the poor, children and the elderly -- are taken care of."
...Medicaid covers children, people with disabilities, pregnant women and the elderly. Nearly two-thirds of the state's 90,000 nursing home residents depend on Medicaid, said Tim Graves, president and CEO of the Texas Health Care Association.
"We certainly understand the need to look at options because the state budget is in such bad shape, but I don't understand how getting out of Medicaid would help," Graves said.
The loss of billions of federal Medicaid dollars could have a "devastating effect" on Texas healthcare, he said.
Wyoming study
Texas is one of several states entertaining the concept. A Wyoming Department of Health study, released in September, on the impact of a Medicaid opt-out said: "While some that lose Medicaid coverage under an opt-out scenario may find coverage as a result of health care reform, it is clear that coverage may not be affordable nor provide the services needed by many. There would also likely remain a significant number of individuals who would not be able to obtain coverage under the current health reform bills."
The study also said: "The strain that will ensue should Wyoming determine to opt-out of participating in Medicaid without a solid plan to replace it is truly immeasurable. Further, Wyoming residents will be paying Federal taxes for services that residents of this state will never benefit from."
Texas Health and Human Services is conducting a similar review. Findings are expected in December.
More here- you wont believe the rest-