Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Failure of MassCare

The problem with health care in the U.S.A.
Is not that everyone does not have health insurance.
The problem is that everyone in the U.S.A.
Does not have adequate health care.

In Massachusetts, every one is insured,
But not everyone has access to health care.
Mitt Romney, former governor and author,
Claims that MassCare is working well.

In the MassCare plan, each citizen
Has been issued a card that states:
Bearer is entitled to medical care,
His/her insurer will pay the bill.

The insurer is either an independent entity
Or an arm of the state government.
Those with insufficient means are subsidized
By those who can pay, i.e., the taxpayers.

The card bearers descended upon
The providers of health services.
And many were turned away at the desk
Because the providers cannot handle the crush.

Medicaid payment rates apply to the poorest,
So most physicians refuse to take them as patients.
Practices with a preponderance of Medicare recipients
Depend on high cost services to survive.

Hospitals are going broke
While doctor-owned clinics thrive,
Because they perform the same services
In a productive and less expensive way.

MassCare has turned out to be a failure
For mandating health insurance,
While doing nothing to ameliorate the
Increased demand for services.

Total MassCare costs are accelerating,
Busting the budget for the commonwealth,
Even though the federal taxpayer
Pays most of the bill as Medicaid.

If Medicare rates are reduced,
As per the ObamaCare plan,
Some of our best providers may fold up,
As the physicians take early retirement.

Addendum:

Let me point out that the federal bill contains a real positive
That fullfils what I was ranting about on March 24.
According to a WSJ article, fnding for community health centers
Has been doubled from $2 billion annually.

This was a program begun during the last administration;
Starting at the bottom, to provide adequate health care for all.
Of course, the states still allocate the their Medicaid funds.
As per agreements with the feds.