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Home Health Care on the Block
-- the cutting block, that is.
Here in New Hampshire the counties are being hit pretty hard by the so-called stimulus package. Not only are the cooperative extension offices in danger of closing due to lack of funding ( http://www.lancasterfarming.com/node/1779 ), but home health care services are also up on the block. I asked my Cheshire County Administrator what's going on with the HHC programs now at risk of being shut down, and then asked "What about the new stimlus money on its way soon?" He replied that HHC is funded in no small part through Medicare programs, and the stimulus bill actually is significantly cutting Medicare funding.
How is HHC doing in your state?
Obama, Geithner and Summers continue to bailout the Wall Street tycoons, but are cutting Medicare. So there you go. (That portion of the bailout allocated to the tycoons would have been more appropriately directed to replace the retirement money all those people lost because of the tycoons' incompetence and, more precisely, greed.)
But I'm digressing now from Home Health Care. So that's all I have to say for now.
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they'll support home schooling but not home health care.
thanks fro keeping tabs on our state sharyn
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
is growing leaps and bounds
I know that I have heard about helath Care or helsth Depasrtment Cuts going on.>eleminating Programs and Staff...at the local level..as there are Massive State and Local Budget Cunds and Funding problems...I have told my Local city councilaman that i believe the City (and Counties) Need to find ways to Create reserves for Human Services and emergencys...It may take additional Tax to get it...but its a PRIORITY.....Tols Him the City needs to Cut Big Ticket spending on Thier PET (and Costly) Projects that only benefit a Few..(like Just INFLUENTAIL PEOPLE)..These are CITY and COUNTY Wide problems..
On TV they have controverys going about Obamas Spending Plan...and That there are several thousand Pork items in the Bill...If they were cut...There would be a Approx 250 BILLION Dollars Savings..
Right Now...OBAMA Claims its an OLD BILL...thatwe He just "INHERITED"...so He wiulol sign it...with that Excuse and Justicication..
There is still a lot of waste in Spending..and terrible mamagement...Just about as Bad as Katrina was Handled by the Bush Administration..We ONLY have OBAMAS Word...what ever thats worth..That HIS PLAN will Work..
The Market doesnt think so...in MY Contrarian OPINION..and Im skeptical to..
seems kind of funny that there was all this excitement expressed from state govs that all this money is coming to rev everything up, and at the same time a rreality check on the l;ocal level that they have to make serious cuts. go figure.
be sure to give that Lancaster Farming link a click
how can they cut something so many of us use every year? when newbies first try to raise their own food, and save us all money, they always turn to the coop extension service for help. help getting rid of poison ivy and a million other issues. Why are we cutting everything when we know this mess will end someday.
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
were part of FDR's new deal to help us pull out of one depression; now some people are calling BHO a new FDR. please; next thing you know social security will be up on the chopping block too.
just to know, the talk is that social security will be on Obama's chopping block during his health care reform.
I've heard that's what's going on behind closed doors.
today. I can't believe this. He's increasing funding for everything right now. To pday for it, he's reducing the amount Medicare pays to insurers - maybe this means he's cutting Medicare part D? http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/08/MNEE16AJT5.D...
Thanks for the news, Sharyn. (Oh by the way, these health care "reforms" don't increase access to healthcare for anybody. They just computerize medical records.)
HMO plans with all the freebies. The gov't currently SUBSIDIZES those insurance plans which offer freebies like prescriptions, vision, and Silver Sneakers...and those insured pay LESS than us regular folks! In fact, these plans are MORE expensive than regular Medicare!!!
(I guess the Clinton-era HMO vision is getting finally killed)
SO, it seems that they want to drive those people into regular Medicare, which will make it easier to herd everyone around.
I've chosen regular Medicare because I can go anywhere to any doctor who accepts, versus having the limitation some of the "gold" managed care plans have. Personally, finding out that the gov't has been subsidizing those plans pisses me off! So, it's a double-edged sword...to make these plans compete and maybe die has been a Democratic Party goal for a long time and I think it's right....HOWEVER, in Obama's hands..it perhaps becomes a dangerous thing!!
As for the status of Home Health care, I'm in Las Cruces, NM---we've had lots of people in, but are a bit slow on getting the walkers to try for my mother. May just be an oversight by the doctor who has to authorize--the P/T has called the co. a couple of times and they say they've submitted to the doctor. Overall, it's good. We have people coming after they work their regular jobs to assess, which relieves the burden on the daily workers.
This town also has a "Dial a Ride" service which they've had to increase the fee on...to about $1.50 a ride...and you have to book well in advance to get to the doctors...But I know it's very good...people shop all the time ( I see them getting picked up) and I know a couple of women in the neighborhood get picked up to get to the Sr. Citizen's center...)
Let's see how long we have it...
One reason I came here is because of the excellent services....which will probably dry up by the time I need them! However, there's a bus system and cabs in a pinch...which wouldn't cost TOO much... (esp. the bus system)
have been very helpful to many seniors who cannot even afford regular medicare premiums anymore. My mother is on one of these plans, and it's much more truly comprehensive (and geared to prevention) insurance (which used to be the norm in the good ole days). I sure hope my mom doesn't lose this good coverage because of the cuts to medicare insurers.
btw, what are silver sneakers?
including my own mother, will not be happy with the cuts to medicare insurers; bottom line their premiums will probably be up in the unaffordable range as a result.
what the majority reaction is going to be if Obama tries to cut Social Security. I think that one may be a bridge too far.
WHERETHEHELL IS MY ERA???
it is more cost effective to care for people in their own homes.
Unless the plan is to warehouse all sick and elderly people. Many of the people who are now warehoused in nursing homes would do far better at home in familiar surroundings. Many do not need constant care and many simply give up on life once they are taken from their homes.
Yes, there are some people who are to frail or ill to be taken care of at home. But many who are forced into nursing homes, and that against their will, could be taken care of quite adequately at home.
There is something wrong with a country that incarcerates it's elderly in nursing homes, many substandard in care, against their will.
I took CNA training and worked for a very short time in a well-regarded Nursing Home in my community. It was heartbreaking and I admit my cowardice in not being able to continue.
When I asked one elderly lady how long she'd been at the home she replied, "Oh I got a life sentence dear, we all did."
That was years ago and I can still hear her soft voice. I wish I couldn't because it makes me wonder how long before I'll be suffering the same life sentence.
A Dishonest/Biased Media Is A Crime Against Democracy!
especially your point that it is more cost effective to care for people in their own homes. That's one reason New Hampshire made an effort to grow and strenghthen home health care. If they start cutting these programs now to save money, where do they think all the money will come from to sustain a huge nursing home expansion. This is just nuts.
It sure seems like there is no option but to cut Medicare benefits as a way of saving and getting things back on course.
http://medicare-benefits.com/
We have to keep bailing out AIG and I don't see any way to do that except cutting medical benefits for seniors.
WHERETHEHELL IS MY ERA???
a perfect response to that comment. (btw, I agree w/ you on the low-life photo in other post -- just gave my opinion there.)