An article by the AP linked to here regarding Arizona reducing its Medicaid coverage and the probable death of a second person as a result of it is mind-boggling and anger inducing for many reasons.
The travesty of this extends to the hospital system in Arizona - do they not have charity care? And what are the procedures at the organ distribution organization in Arizona - do they deny organs to people without insurance because of insurance status because they are worried about organ rejection if the patient cannot afford the expensive anti-rejection medicine?
And if what I surmised above is correct, what about the docs/hospital execs that have connections to pharmaceutical companies through reps - could no deal be quickly put together to have one of the pharmaceutical companies provide charity medication to this person?
And no family, good Samaritans, or friends to pitch in?
This makes me sick!
I'm in a hurry so I have to continue later, but I sense that the government through the Medicaid program is creating economic phenomenon of crowding out the market for charity medical care not only in Arizona, but throughout the country.
Hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, etc. are used to at least being able to collect some level of reimbursement from Medicaid so why bother to give anyone free care - even if the patient will end up dead as a result of this inaction!
Alan Busch asked me this on facebook...
ReplyDelete"I find this troubling because it seems to run counter-intuitively to what one might expect in these times or is it a reflection of Arizona's fatigue with having to cope with the (il)legal immigration issues on the frtont lines as i...t were?
Would this happen in Massachusetts or Oregon? MY question, I guess, is wether or not this is a "states rights" political question versus the obamaization of health care policy throughout the country?"
Dear Alan,
ReplyDeleteI believe it is a negative externality of the current perspective of many Americans in general that the government is/should be the payer of last resort just about everything and apparently this approach extends to the healthcare de...livery system community as well.
I believe that many hospitals, even "charity/non-for-profit hospitals now see themselves as entitled to at least a Medicaid level (AKA price floor) of reimbursement for medical care provided so people who do not qualify for Medicaid may be, so to speak, thrown under the bus. And, who qualifies for Medicaid, is a political issue determined by the state politicians of each state, as long as they adhere to certain minimum federal requirements.