Wed
Mar 23 2011
10:12 am
State takeover of Medicare and Medicaid
By: R. Neal

Bill Nbr: SB0326
Sponsor: Beavers
Status:
Next sched. action: Tue, 2011/03/29

Description:

This bill would allow Tennessee to join a "compact" among other states to take over Medicare and Medicaid and other federal health care programs and operate them independently of the federal government, except the federal government would provide funding roughly equal to the state's portion of spending on those programs according to a formula. It would also require all participating states to lobby Congress to accept the proposal.

This is insanity.

Humphrey has a report on yesterday's debate in the House. It has already passed subcommittee in the Senate. Check out the "whereas"s.

It took about two seconds to find that this is another teabagger astroturf campaign. (Caution: do not click on links to .doc or .xls files at that site.)

Here is the official Health Care Compact site. It says "Health Care Compact Alliance is a non-partisan section 501(c)(4) organization providing tools that enable citizens to exert greater control over their government."

The same bill has also been introduced in Montana, Missouri, Georgia, Texas, and Arizona, i.e. the usual teabagger suspects.

More info...

Topics:
Andy Axel's picture

(headdesk)

Submitted by Andy Axel on Wed, 2011/03/23 - 10:21am.

Insanity : Mae Beavers :: a : a

Tamara Shepherd's picture

*

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Wed, 2011/03/23 - 10:27am.

The (c)(4) status having been acquired, of course, so that the organization may donate to others of their ilk interested in gaining public office.

A (c)(3) would not have had that ability.

R. Neal's picture

Yes and they say they won't

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2011/03/23 - 10:30am.

Yes and they say they won't reveal the names of donors and sponsors for privacy and ethical reasons.

Tamara Shepherd's picture

*

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Wed, 2011/03/23 - 10:53am.

Under law, a (c)(4) doesn't have to disclose the names of its donors.

I read recently that that provision of the law is under scrutiny recently, but for the present, it remains the law.

bizgrrl's picture

Maybe the Republicans should

Submitted by bizgrrl on Wed, 2011/03/23 - 10:34am.

Maybe the Republicans should be called the Silly Party. If not that, then at least these subcommittees and committees should be the Silly Committees.

I'm wondering how much time they spend in Nashville on silly bills, thus wasting a lot of taxpayer money. Don't the tea partiers care about this waste? :)

R. Neal's picture

To their credit, this bill

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2011/03/23 - 10:39am.

To their credit, this bill might actually create jobs! According to the fiscal note, the State of Tennessee would have to take over administration of Medicare currently performed by the federal government. /snark

Sarge's picture

Will the workers in these

Submitted by Sarge on Wed, 2011/03/23 - 12:16pm.

Will the workers in these newly created jobs be paid in Ketron Tennessee Bucks, if so what is the exchange rate vs U.S. Dollars?

In all seriously, what has happen to our government and who the hell is Mae Beavers?

Tamara Shepherd's picture

Beavers

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Wed, 2011/03/23 - 12:50pm.

Beavers is the Republican birther who replaced Democrat Bob Rochelle in District 17 back in 2002, I think it was.

jbr's picture

Nearly 50 million Americans uninsured, CDC says

Submitted by jbr on Wed, 2011/03/23 - 11:47pm.

Do they (Beavers, etc.) know what they are going to do with it once they get it?

Anyway ...

"In the U.S., people's insurance coverage is linked to their jobs and so when people lose jobs, they lose the insurance coverage that comes with it," says Rachel Garfield senior researcher and associate director at the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.

CNN article

rikki's picture

Don't you make compacts with

Submitted by rikki on Thu, 2011/03/24 - 9:16am.

Don't you make compacts with the devil? This thing needs a better name. I know, TennCare!

JustWondrin's picture

TN take over of Medicare

Submitted by JustWondrin on Sun, 2011/04/03 - 6:54pm.

This is VERY serious and VERY bad! To take one of the most successful programs that helps the most vulnerable people, and turn it over to a bunch of Repubs whose only goal is to PRIVATIZE everything, just like Rick Scott just did in Florida would be a nightmare for those on the program. Repubs want to get rid of it, but barring that, their next best option is to turn it over to their fatcat friends to skim off all the profits they can while cutting care for senior citizens. A huge campaign must be undertaken to stop these a#*holes who are trying to undermine everything that helps PEOPLE.
This is why who governs matters!
I bet all those seniors who voted Repub are real happy now!

redmondkr's picture

"I bet all those seniors who

Submitted by redmondkr on Sun, 2011/04/03 - 8:09pm.

"I bet all those seniors who voted Repub are real happy now!"

All those seniors who voted Repub probably haven't even heard of this move, and, if it does happen, they will blame it on Obama and go on voting Repub.

Mello's picture

ALEC- again

Submitted by Mello on Sun, 2011/04/03 - 9:04pm.

(link...)

(link...)

bizgrrl's picture

Tom Humphrey reported

Submitted by bizgrrl on Tue, 2011/04/05 - 10:30am.

Tom Humphrey reported yesterday the House Health and Human Resources sub-committee was going to be vote on this bill today.

Today the bill passed in the House Health and Human Resources sub-committee.

Would this type of bill drive retirees to rethink moving to Tennessee?

R. Neal's picture

It's hard to believe that

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2011/04/05 - 10:31am.

It's hard to believe that this bill is getting any consideration at all.

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