I was invited to be interviewed today by Kimberly Houck from KTVX Channel 4 here in Utah in regards to the new health care laws going into effect today.
I’m not much of a being on television kinda gal, and declined.
But I did spend a minute explaining something important to Ms. Houck.
Our private insurance company can’t wait to throw our Brave Hero off their rolls.
Many on our state legislature not only want to refuse any and all federal funding of Medicaid and Medicaid waivers, last year’s budget cuts resulted in throwing trached kids off the Travis C. Waiver……for the first time ever.
I explained how DSPD lines in this state can quite literally take a lifetime to move to the head of.
I shared how we’ve been put on alert about Parker’s status in 2011.
And how Parker’s local Legislator believes if Reed and I would just hold a BBQ, at which we could explain to our neighbors Parker’s medical needs, they would surely rally around us and come up with the $2,000 a month rental fee for Parker’s vent.
My neighbors are amazing, but they don’t have the kind of funds to keep Parker alive.
I wouldn’t usually be a fan of Obama Care. Â I have concerns about a lot of stuff contained within this legislation. But I have to admit that Reed and I breathed a sigh of relief today as we realized that EMIA can’t kick Parker off, AND if Reed changed jobs, Parker’s couldn’t be denied insurance.
It’s called being backed into a corner.  Compliments of our Utah Legislature and those who are jumping on the ‘right of right’ bandwagon.
I’ve had members of the Tea Party here in Utah tell me that accepting Medicaid for Parker amounted to nothing less than our robbing them by gun point.
I’ve been demonized because I refuse to use Parker’s life ( or in this case, death) to make a constitutional point.
Funny thing though, each time I point to one of these ultra right Utah Tea Party members and invite THEM TO GO FIRST using THEIR kid as the sacrificial lamb……I get no takers.
Pot, meet kettle.
Our private insurance for Parker running out.
Parker’s spot on the Travis C. Waiver is dependent on the cuts made by his very own local Legislative Representative who wants to do away with any Federal funding of Medicaid, and intentionally or not, is making sure his cuts lead the way.
Many Utah Tea Party members are shouting that Medicaid and Medicare are unconstitutional, and wants to end all evil social infrastructure.
“Restore the Republic,” is the cry of those that place themselves to the‘ Right of Right.’
Sounds great, no?
Except when our Republic was young, life spans were short. Malnutrition ran rampant. Epidemics abundant. With no social infrastructure in place , roaming bands of orphans where common place…..as was stepping over dead bodies on your way to the market.
Oh goody. Can’t wait to welcome the 1800′s back in.
What are parents of medically fragile kids with special needs supposed to do except feel a bit grateful for the breathing room today’s health care changes bring if only for a couple of years?
Back a Special Needs Mama into a corner and we have no choice but to come out fighting.
Just as you would fight for the live of YOUR child, we too will fight for the lives of OURS.
ETA: As I was writing this I was listening to a commercial. It’s message?  “Let’s vote of a smaller, gentler Government. One that favors us.”
Unless you are a medically fragile kid with special needs.
You we’ll throw under a bus.
I’m not excited about Obamacare. We don’t have group health insurance but love the state’s alternative for those who have been denied insurance on a personal plan . . . HIP Utah. It’s been great insurance for Morgan and covers everything a group insurance would cover. I don’t know if this option is available in every state, if not, than we are very fortunate in Utah. It costs us an extra $330/month but is worth every penny!
Heather,
I’m not a fan of Obamacare either. But if Parker loses his Medicaid spot and we lose our private insurance…..whadda we do?
I’ve never heard of HIP Utah. I have heard of CHIP though.
It looks as though Parker would first have to go through the mandatory COBRA period before being able to apply. And he’s being able to apply would depend on HIP’s pre-existing conditions.
And I didn’t see where HIP talked about pre-existing conditions.
I’ll add this to our list of possibilities along with looking into a Medicaid spend down plan if Parker loses his spot.
One Legislator is suggesting that those who receive Medicaid work community service hours for the state. Many have looked down on this idea, but if that is what it takes to insure coverage for Parker I’ll do it.
They also talked about HIPPA which is a Federal program. And those that I reference above are against any kind of Federal assistance.
There is no pre-existing conditions with HIP. It is for those who don’t have COBRA, group health plan and denied on a personal plan. If your health insurance lapses then there is a one year pre-existing clause but as long as you go from a group plan to Cobra to HIP, it’s all covered. Anyone denied can get it . . . which means those with cancer, ms, crohn’s disease, etc. The monthly rate is based on age and the deductible chosen. It is a wonderful program because it ensures no person in Utah has to ever go without insurance. It’s not based on income like CHIP. I’d love it if Morgan could qualify on our personal plan. It would save us $330/month but she never has qualified. I’m curious what these changes will mean for her and if she could possibly join our family’s plan.
I love how legislators decide that folks who are keeping their kids alive have time for community service…I know we do what we have to do, but there wouldn’t be nearly as much if they held up their end of the bargain.
That robbing us at gunpoint statements drives me bonkers too. I have lots of friends who call themselves tea partiers and make statements like that. The last time somebody did that, I finally said, “Well here’s the gun, How about you put a bullet in my kid’s head and save us all?” When you put in that perspective, they usually see what a$$es they have been. ARGH!
I said this earlier – this country is getting scarier & scarier. It isn’t Obama himself, it is ALL of our legislators….Nobody has any time for anybody different. UGH!
Steph
I thought of you first when the first wave of the Healthcare Reform went into effect, but was afraid to mention it because we’ve had differing opinions on this issue. I’m with you 100% on the topics you specifically addressed in this post and want to say Whew along with you. We faced having to buy our own insurance a year ago and were told NO ONE in California would insure Nana privately. Luckily, we were able to enroll as a group with my husband’s office, but it was really scary. It just should not be this way because the insurance companies are the only ones winning by denying coverage to paying customers. THIS point (as you know) has nothing to do with government- just decency. Come on, insurance companies, most kids, thank God, are well and will give you nothing but profit on their policies. It’s only fair.
First, I am glad Parker has insurance. Everyone should have access to healthcare; however, our country was not founded to be a socialist socieity; hence, the gov’t. should not dictate to private entities how a business should be ran, because we all know what a swell job our gov’t. does in running the country. What the hell, they own GM and Chevrolet now, why not go all out.
But….I can understand your position – not nearly as well as being in that position, but yeah, I get it it, and if I was in your shoes, there is no doubt I would feel that same way as you.
It is a double edge sword. Personally, healthcare should be affordable to everyone. I really see no need to charge such outrageous prices, nor for the purpose of an health insurance company. The only reason healtcare facilities do that is because they know we would spend our last dime to help/save somone we love. Nothing like having a gun to a person’s head.
Gah, I will get off my soapbox.
HIP utah is the high risk utah pool. When we moved back to Utah from Arizona we were not able to buy a plan because of Tyler’s issues. (Frankly if you have ever been to the doctor for any reason in the last six years no one would be able to get a private plan) The cost of the HIP utah will KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF!!
For a family of six you have to make under 88 k a year to qualify for a subsidy. Without a subsidy you would be paying $366 bucks a person under 21. There is a 2000 deductible up to 5k depending on how much you are willing to pay out. (aka how much you HAVE to pay as a deductible. We don’t have the extra to pay less for a smaller deductible so we would have to fork over more a month) Here is the KICKER. You are still responsible to pay up to 20 percent or more of you bill along with the other payments. The prescription benefits are HORENDOUS. They hardly cover ANY and you pay 50 percent of the scripts.
My FAVORITE part. It is run by Select health. The same people who will not give you a plan and is the LARGEST insurance company in Utah and is a TOTALLY monopoly. They also run the state medicaid/medicare program and have the states insurance contract.
http://selecthealth.org/Forms%20and%20Documents/HIPUtah/hiputahoutline.pdf
We personally couldn’t afford HIP utah and we don’t qualify for assistance with it. We also don’t get medicaid either. We are ON our own. At the end of the year AETNA is dropping all Utah plans. We will no longer have any coverage and no options because AETNA won’t sell COBRA coverage.
We have never been able to get our “neighbors” to give us any money for Tyler. If your rep said that, I would invite him to your next BBQ and make sure his 2 grand check is on recurring payments.
We did HIP just for Morgan. We pay $366/mo for her. It has a $500 deductible and $2000 max out of pocket/year. It has been amazing insurance. She’s not on any prescription meds so I’m not sure about that aspect. We then have a separate personal plan for our family which is $680/mo. We pay around $1000/mo for our health insurance. Ridiculous but necessary with a family of 8!
P.S. I agree if you have had anything besides strep throat in your medical history you will not get covered on a personal plan!
Before our current plan we paid 1200 for a family of 3. FAMILY OF 3. Offered by Select health. Then the only option after it expired was HIP utah which we would have paid more than that monthly and more out of pocket than we were paying with the same plan before HIP. HiP really is just a last resort.
This is the bottom line:
ANY program that receives Federal Funding will have it’s day on the cutting block if the Tea Party in Utah takes control. Not just Medicaid.
Those who are far right don’t believe ANY tax dollars should go to things like CHIP, HIP or HIPPA. They believe that if they CHOOSE to give to charity they should pick who, when, and how much.
If you live in Utah you really should be touching base with your Reps. It is scary out there.
I like your post. I think E filing is the best option for Utah state tax. Now It’s very easy to know our Utah state tax refund status.
How can the Federal Government make a rate change that is effective immediately for 25% decrease funding for HIP programs? Received my notice today that this is effective November 1, 2010. How can this be blamed on the Tea Party when they have nothing to do with decisions that have been made on the Federal level? What happened that this was not discussed or presented to HIP Utah insureds? What program am I eligible for to get insurance through that I can afford when I cannot work because of illness? How many other HIP Utah insureds are dealing with this same issue?
Madilee,
I’m so very sorry to read this.
Are you sure that the Federal Government make this decision or is this a result of our local legislature turning away federal funding for HIP.
When I speak of the increasing extreme mentality I am seeing in Utah, I’m talking about those who would have any and all tax dollars removed for supporting infrastructure such as HIP, and especially Medicaid.
I’m not up to date with what all the HCR has in store for changes either, perhaps this was one of them.
What I would do is email your local legislator, explain to him what has happened and see what they say.
I know there is great concern that as the economy has worsened more people are applying for general (non waiver) medicaid. And I know that there is a lot of problems right now with able bodied people choosing not to look for work to get off of general Medicaid, as well as a growing amount of fraud.
I wish I could help you more. Not all that belong to the Tea Party would choose to do away with social infrastructure. Unfortunately I’ve ran into way to many to feel comfortable with voting for somebody exclusively backed by the Tea Party.