IMHO the public health care system subsidizes what the private system does not do. That is one reason it is tolerated politically. Many many disabled persons end up on Medicaid because of private insurance problems. Remember when Chris Reeve figured that his insurance caps would be his undoing in the future and began to advocate for higher or no caps?
Private insurance issues also affect employment for disabled individuals.
>This is an excellent point. Expanding services for children make
>the liberals get all warm and fuzzy (don't worry I think it is a
>good thing) but there is no comparable interest in getting people
>with disabilities better and more varied services.
You don't often hear nondisabled people much bitching about how lousy Medicaid is who support the program but you will hear it from disabled persons on the program. Docs who won't touch it, ridiculous refusals of medically necessary items (at least there is an appeals process) and the latest out here is that Medi-Cal requires people to show up at an assigned dentist office for "approval" before they allowed to get dental care, yet that doc's office in our area is inaccessible. So people I know had to hang out in the rain in front of the building yelling to get someone to come out. They were examined on the sidewalk.
And unfortunately, as the budgets go south so does public health care. That was Reagan and Gingrich's approach, choke the programs to death. W. doesn't seem to be much different.
There needs to be big time improvements and some kind of civilian oversight.
> What is worrisome to me that long-term Medicaid policy for people
>with disabilities seems to be largely divide and conquer. The
>divide is largely around work; as states are providing more health
>care options for those that work (subsidized and public care that is
>really a break for the employer) and as you mention curtailing
>options for people with disabilities on "traditional" Medicaid. I
>am for positive work incentives for people with disabilities up to a
>point. I am against a "carrot-shaped stick" that leads some to work
>while clubbing those who do not.
I wasn't aware that this is the case. Please do give me some resources to look into it.
best, Marta
-- Marta Russell Los Angeles, CA www.disweb.org