Monday, June 17, 2013

And a local blogger responds....

Local blogger Stacey Spiehler had a few things to say about the matter on A Housewife in Flip-Flops:

Mississippi is facing a Medicaid battle. Not only is it in danger of not being expanded, it's in danger of being CUT. Please don't think I'm about to make a plea for the poor - I'm not. No, this one's for the rich people*. Don't even read this if you're lower than solidly middle class. Hey rich people. Are we alone yet? Let's talk about how this will affect us.

Let's start with me, actually, like we rich people tend to do. Mississippi has two pediatric neurologists. TWO. In the ENTIRE STATE. Ace sees one of them for his cerebral palsy and I have to block out at least 3 hours in my schedule to see him because he's so overbooked. I just found out Friday that he is leaving the state because of underfunded Medicaid - he's just not getting paid. Now I either have to see the ONLY pediatric neurologist in the state and heaven knows how long I'll have to wait for an appointment with her or I have to take Ace out of state for his appointments. Since there still remains one pediatric neurologist in the state, my insurance won't pay for an out-of-state doctor. There goes the lawn man. DAMN IT.

"So? Quite frankly, Stacey, I'm glad you'll be inconvenienced because your car is newer than mine and I hate you for it. I'm richer than God and my kid doesn't have special needs; how will this affect ME?"

Hang on to your French tips, girl. Have you ever complained that despite the fact that we take naps on our fat stacks of cash that it STILL takes an hour or two to get in to see your gyno? That's because he/she is overbooked, too. If Medicaid is cut, doctors WILL leave the state of Mississippi because Mississippi is not dominated by people like us, it's dominated by people who depend on Medicaid to pay their doctors. That means your doctor will become MORE overbooked - or will leave the state too. And you KNOW how much it sucks to find a doctor who makes you comfortable enough to allow him/her to stick things in your vagina. It's not just doctors who will leave the state - nurses, EMTs, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, counselors, social workers, midwives, et cetera, et cetera. And you can forget about the friend who gives you Xanax at book (wine) club, she's gonna be hoarding that shit. Rest of post

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

This lady doesn't have a clue. Medicaid expansion will not significantly increase payments to MDs. Expansion means expanding access to more people to get on Medicaid. That means her wait times will be even longer. Or she will end up not seeing an MD but rather a glorified nurse.

Anonymous said...

Hhhmmmm - I can think of FIVE pediatric neurologists off the top of my head in Jackson. One is RETIRING at the end of the month (age, not Medicaid reimbursement levels) and I don't know if they've hired a replacement for him. One moved to the MS coast a while ago, another moved to south Alabama, and one is supposed to return to UMMC July 1.

As a general philosophy, instead of subsidizing poverty, thereby creating more of it, many of us feel we should be creating economic conditions so more people can take care of themselves and their families. I pay for my kids' medical care and their insurance premiums because, well, they're my kids.

As far as whining about how bad medical care is here, I'm curious why you stay. We've heard a LOT about how the mean ol' USA is one of only six (?) countries in the world that don't have government-provided health care (all due to those evil rich people). May I suggest moving yourself and your child to, say, Mexico, so you can enjoy national health service with no cares.

Anonymous said...

I had thought that Medicaid payments to primary-care docs under the expansion were being increased to parity with Medicare. No?

Anonymous said...

This doesn't affect me. UMMC doesn't accept as in-network my Cigna health insurance anyway. There's more money in un-insureds, illegals and Medicaid recipients. Of course Cigna is accepted everywhere else but the others aren't subsidized by my tax dollars. Bitter? You're damn right.

Anonymous said...

Signa may be 'accepted' elsewhere but there are arrogant providers whose clinic managers/wives will dog cuss the carrier when you check out. All service providers long ago forgot who the customer is.

Anonymous said...

I guess waiting for hours to escort women to the abortion clinic is okay (http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130420/NEWS01/304200026/Changed-perspectives-abortion-Life-threatening-pregnancy-leads-necessary-evil-), but waiting a few hours to be seen by a doctor is not?

The entire health care system needs to be fixed, but expanding a bloated government program isn't the answer. Government is the problem now, and it will continue to be the problem as long as it is the central figure in the healthcare debate.

Kingfish said...

Interesting part is the hits on this one versus the Speakah's column ran 4:1 in her favor.

Kingfish said...

Folks, deal with the merits or style of what she wrote. Googling her name, attacking her with what you may find, won't get approved here.

Anonymous said...

I like that Stacey is doing what is seldom done when discussing policy decisions...looking at the practical aspects and consequences.

I agree that our medical care system is broken. But, any efforts to fix it have been met with resistance either from fear of change or because of vested interests or belief rather than facts.

Some of the blog comments in response are proof...especially the abortion analogy. Waiting is non-productive time in any situation. DUH!
One waits at an abortion clinic for the same reason Stacey waited...more demand than service.
We, of course, have those who can't entertain the notion that not everyone who doesn't share their religious or moral or political beliefs have the right in a free country to not only disagree but also not to have their choices dictated to them by the tyranny of either a majority or minority!
What we do have to do is live within the law of the land and accept we are a democratic republic. Your option is to work to elect different representatives not to defy the law!
And, God forbid we should look at policy decisions pragmatically...let's just emote and continue to try to bully others into letting us have our way!



Anonymous said...

@9:44 - There was nothing said @5:06 about being in support of or against abortion. The author simply made the comparison that she willingly volunteers her time to escort patients at the clinic, yet will clamor that her time is too valuable to do what is required of us from time to time, go to the doctor. Her own words and actions make her very supposition for the expansion of Medicare specious from the onset.

Also, your hackneyed red state/blue state mantra about why we can not have reasonable debate in this country is also well off base. The reason the discussion can not move forward is two-fold:

1) Her inability to discuss the issue intelligently without snark and bile, neither of which engender substantive conversation, and

2) People like yourself who grab at the hot button issue in a knee-jerk reaction instead of actually understanding the reasoning behind the basic argument. You're own lens of prejudice interpreted the original intent incorrectly and, as such, did not add one iota to the discussion.



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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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