Northampton County's population is estimated at 294,787. Did you know that ten percent of its population - around 30,000 people - are getting medical assistance from our mandatory Medicaid managed care program, called HealthChoices (HC)? That's what a program administrator told Northampton County Council during a budget hearing yesterday. He also explained that many recipients are recent new Jersey transplants who consciously moved here because the coverage is better. He calls it the New Jersey influence.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Ten Percent of Northampton County Getting Medical Assistance
Northampton County's population is estimated at 294,787. Did you know that ten percent of its population - around 30,000 people - are getting medical assistance from our mandatory Medicaid managed care program, called HealthChoices (HC)? That's what a program administrator told Northampton County Council during a budget hearing yesterday. He also explained that many recipients are recent new Jersey transplants who consciously moved here because the coverage is better. He calls it the New Jersey influence.
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That's why not going for public option like England, Canada, Austrailia, France, Germany, Japan, etc.. etc.. is stupid. We already pay for all the poor people basically and we pay for everyone over 65. Our rates go up because we pay for all the millions of people that go to the emergency room for treatment and everyone with health insurance is going bankrupt because it doesnt cover anything when you get sick, just bleeds small businesses and the middle class dry. In the end, it would be cheaper for those of us in the middle class to do a public option. It works everywhere else. As Americans ,we can't be that incompetent to screw it up.
ReplyDeleteAnd why is it that we are surprised that we have so many people getting Medical Assistance?? The recipe is : The economy, the vast amounts of individuals of all ethnic persuasion that have come to NORCO to reside, the failure of social service agencies to co-ordinate rather than duplicate service, churches not working together but all having some kind of food program, and the high cost of benefits so that the lowpaying jobs run under a 40 hr work week so as not to have to get bennies and then the double dipping. Retired folks who get nice cushy jobs where they can collect pension & salary and then (may I have a drum roll please) the failure of any Valley wide initiative to create accessible Health Care and the high cost of pharmaceuticals put it all together and you have the foul smelling stew of the "problem" I am still waiting for someone like the Doctor in Phoenixville Pa. who gave up her practice to create a fully staffed Community Health Clinic in an old mansion she bought ....yeah and at any minute the mad-hatter( Bernie O"hare) will make me break the looking glass and they will be crying "Off with her head...again)
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