I would like to offer a “tip of the hat” to my friends at The Idaho Freedom Foundation. In an article published two days ago, the authors Fred Birnbaum, Ronald Nate PhD., and Niklas Kleinworth outline in a policy paper entitled MEDCAID IN IDAHO: A POLICY PRIMER the predicate, the unfulfilled promise, the financial house of sticks upon which this very important program to help take care of those on the margins may soon implode.
Some suggestions to help secure the futures of those who truly need to be served in some way were offered— not because they chose to not be able to take care of themselves, but because they can’t. The article points out that up to 1/3 of those people receiving benefits don’t currently qualify. This plus the gaming of the system by providers who receive over $100 million of transfer payments and who as described in previous articles of mine and in previously cited Medscape articles use supply chain shenanigans—some would call them kickbacks but I don’t, and creative Coding including Covid diagnostic Codes as primary entries in the diagnostic ledger in clinic notes and problem lists, is at least worthy of curious inquiry by our legislature and maybe even an investigation or two if any “red flags” pop up.
The authors of THE PRIMER have impeccable academic and real-world experience—more so than anybody else I have read in our State in the field of public policy and government affairs—specifically in the field of governance. They are to be respected and listened to too.
I wrote a post at the bottom of the article, but failed as they did in their writing to offer a solution to the issue, I raised about the now-bankrupt Idaho Health Information Exchange. Compared to $4 billion in the Budget for The Idaho DHW $27 million doesn’t seem like much—but to people that are everyday citizens like me and whose taxes paid for the Exchange it is a lot of money and we deserve a reckoning.
I have a suggestion. I think the Governor should appoint a committee headed by Dr. Ted Epperly to investigate the lost $ 27 million. On issues regarding medical policy and economics, there is little common ground between me and Dr. Epperly.
He is a respected member of the medical community, and his reputation would add credibility to the Commission findings.
This may be the tip of the Iceberg, but it is a start.
Thanks again IFF for (finally) joining the fight. Like a modern-day Lafayette, you finally made it to the party—please stay till the end.
3 replies on “Modern Day Lafayettes”
Where, in the Constitution is congress authorized to appropriate taxpayers’ money to pay for needs of people, even if they CAN’T pay for their own? That is the job of charity, which will have fewer donors if people can excuse their responsibility to help the poor, saying, “There’s a government program for them.”
Medicaid is socialism and we should get rid of it. Simple as that. Socialized medicine never works, and we certainly don’t need the government running or paying for it.
I agree with both of the above. We need to claw our way back with small bites. The first stage is to fight the fraud that is in the system now—1/3 of claimants are not elgible for benefits. Provider “up coding” and over coding needs to be addressed. Audits are a simple first step. There were never any $18million/2yr CEO in Idaho non-profit hospital systems until the ACA, and it just become worse with Medicaid Expansion and Emergency Covid Orders.