From the Concord Monitor from a little bit ago (reformatted, emphasis mine):
Will hospitals voluntarily pay $40M to keep expanded Medicaid going?
Newly approved plan relies on voluntary contributions from hospitals, insurance carriers. New Hampshire’s newly reauthorized Medicaid expansion is riding on a hope that hospitals and insurance carriers will voluntarily help foot the bill, or else it’s doomed. Legislation Gov. Maggie Hassan signed into law Tuesday, which continues the expansion for two more years, relies on those organizations to voluntarily donate an estimated $40 million to the state to help fund the program’s operation.
Really? Are both Parties that insane to think that a major program is at the whim of a group of large corporations (face it, most hospitals are the biggest businesses in their regions) thinking “should we or should we not”? Or what’s really going on under a quid quo pro? Who really benefits?
(shush….it is never we taxpayers, btw)
If the payments don’t come in on schedule, or in full, the program would end within 180 days under the new law. “Literally, it’s on them,” said Rep. Joe Lachance, a Manchester Republican and one of the policy’s architects.
No, NH State Rep Joe LaChance, it’s not on them by a long stretch – the hospitals will always get their money, one way or another. Sure, they bellyache about the uncompensated costs, or that the law requires them to give so much of uncompensated care. Trust me, this is nothing more than accountants making their numbers tell the story that is required of them; a bag of silicone – when you squish it in here, it pops out over there. Costs just rise and taxpayers will still pay – just via healthcare premiums.
With Medicaid Expansion, who is paying? Still we taxpayers with higher premiums, a new Obamacare tax on our premiums. Always remember: what government mandates, it is always US, at the bottom of the levels of government (and associated crony capitalists and other rent-seekers). Be it taxes, higher prices, overrides, and mandatory payments, WE individuals pay the price.
The prattle from the likes of LaChance or Jeb Bradley or Chuck Morse about having to pay higher costs at the hospitals? Hey, just another case of cost shifting from one and to another; it’s just that everyone else’s bottom line and revenue stream starts in our wallets – it’s all from the same pocket and INTO the same gang of suspects. Names change, directions change – it’s still the same street shill game.
But the hospitals skipping out on those payments while you see politicians wagging their fingers? Just remember it was Bradley that in circling the Crony Circle square gave those same hospitals basically the power of the old CON Board (Certificate of Need) that decided who could compete in the medical marketplace – and who couldn’t.
So now the hospitals get to “just say no” while inching up those costs. Costs that will go to paying that “voluntary” payment to the State “in lieu” of taxes that can’t be laid across them.
Quid quo pro – scratching backs all around and as fast and as hard as they can. If they stopped the “voluntary” payments, you know that the hammer would come down on them from these same politicians. If I was the CEO or CFO of one of these institutions, I’d be looking at “Literally, it’s on them,” as a warning from Guido: nice business you have there (that we’ve given you) – a pity if something were to happen to it.
No, under those conditions (implied threat?), nothing is voluntary. Besides, they’re all in anyways.
