I think a large part of the problem is that no one with national creditability has come on TV and said, this is the plan, and this is what it will do for you. Coverage for all medical costs over $5K per year, guaranteed issue, no rescission, premiums based on income, level the playing ground between you and the insurance company, etc. So, in the void, confusion, fear and striving for partisan advantage take over. Hindsight though is always 20/20.

My doubts center around the fiscal sleight of hand and fuzzy budget numbers and my own preference for federalizing medicaid, uniform medicaid standards (in many states, standards are based on 50’s era criteria), better use of medicaid spend down rules and preference to finance this through higher FICA taxes. Reducing costs is a separate matter, where we have to make hard decisions about what we pay for and how much, ponder the paradoxical effect of the present situation, offer sweeteners like tort reform, streamlined regulations and billing, etc.

No, the honest FACT would be you are presuming a lot by presuming that Congressman Davis would vote differently if he weren’t running for governor. The fact is that he is a very thoughtful person who has never been one to toe the party line just for the sake of doing it. So, yes, not only can I argue with it, it’s not even a fact!

And honestly, when you look at other areas of the country, Alabama’s rural poor are actually better off than many when it comes to healthcare coverage. Now, where Alabama suffers is in access to care, something that the current proposal for healthcare reform does little to help.

Again, I’m a supporter of the bill, but I certainly think there are rational reasons to oppose it and Congressman Davis has repeatedly voiced his concerns in a rational way. (As opposed to many who never bothered to educate themselves on the facts and are opposing the bill with no rational reasoning whatsoever)

Honestly though, I wouldn’t call a 5.8 to 22.2 spread as a particularly low rate. Particularly when Davis’s district includes Birmingham which has more people than all his other counties combined. So we definitely need to weigh for population too.

“Facts to back up your assertions.”

that’s crazy talk!

And it might get you mentioned in “you know who’s “next snarky press release. I’d be proud to share that honor with you.
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Alabama Medicaid Eligibility Summary

During Fiscal Year 2008, more than 920,000 Alabama citizens were eligible for Medicaid benefits for at least one month of the year. To be eligible for federal funds, states are required to provide coverage for certain groups. These groups are:

Low income families who meet the eligibility requirements in the state’s AFDC plan

In effect on July 16, 1996;

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients;

Infants born to Medicaid-eligible pregnant women;

Children under age 6 and pregnant women whose family income is at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level

Children ages 6-18 whose family income is up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level

Recipients of adoption assistance

Children in foster care or custody of Dept. of Youth Services

Certain Medicare beneficiaries

Special protected groups, including those who lose eligibility for cash assistance or SSI due to an increase in earnings from work, Social Security benefits or child/spousal support

And coal ash and FISA have nothing to do with the point I was making. Just red herrings.

It requires mandatory contribution of ALL recipient’s income.

That let’s Davis off the hook for not representing the poor people in his district?

Of course he also says nothing about the massive coal ash mountain growing in Perry County.

And he voted for George W. Bush’s spying FISA bill which eliminated our Fourth Amendment rights.

It’s cheap and easy to say data can say anything you want, but it’s just plain wrong. And global warming is a perfect example. There is no doubt the world is warming, do you question that fact? There is a lot of debate about the causes and the speed and what can or should be done to reverse it, but the data isn’t wrong (despite what your “news” sources may tell you).

You did hit on a point where we can all agree, the current system is unsustainable. Where is your evidence that tort reform, health insurance portability and consumers “really paying” for their coverage will change that?

And I agree with your final statement as well…so who are the most “free” people in the world?

Walt,

I think you’re onto something with the more likely to be single and more likely to not have dependent children in Baldwin, Shelby and Lee counties. I may have to do some more digging on that.

Moving on, facts before making assertions and disparaging a candidate? That way leads to madness, folks might be asked to actually make a decision instead of playing follow the megaphone.

A perfect example of why I love to work with you, Kris.

I’ll be interested to hear from Alabama’s other congressional reps (who also oppose the bill) what their plans are for covering the uninsured in their districts — and whether the interest groups who were/are attacking Davis based on a supposed need in his district will press the others the same way based on demonstrable need.