Just look at the numbers compared to the next two highest Medicaid spenders (CA and TX).
Then look at the populations of NY, CA and TX:
How on earth do we manage to spend more than CA and TX combined when combined they have more than 3 times as many people?
Keep this in mind during the budget debates and union endorsed public service announcements keep crying that we absolutely can’t cut health care spending in this state or all the hospitals will have to close while babies and old people die.
Because the fucking system is corrupt. Everybody and their mothers have medicaid along with a bimmer or mercedes. It’s the luxury government insurance plan. My dad pays $90 for his prescriptions every month, while the same drugs are covered for $1.00 under medicaid and they still bitch and scream about a 50 cent copay. Then the copay is waived for the whiners. Then they go buy a pack of cigerettes. It seriously pisses me off to see a medicaid patient drive though the pharmacy for their prescriptions in an e46 bimmer and requests to have their copays waived. Die scumbags.
edit then there’s the people who get free humidifiers, boost + ensure drinks, and their diapers. Oh and don’t forget free tylenol and motrin prescriptions while you’re at the docter’s office. About the only thing medicaid don’t pay for is viagra, only because it was once covered, and people used it for rape.
/vent from a pharmacy technician.
For the people who REALLY do need it, I am glad you have it and enjoy it while it lasts.
I agree that the situation in NYS is in dire need of some reform. Instead of functioning as an assistance for those who are truly needy, it has become another part of an exacerbated welfare-state in which apathy is rewarded and intergenerational maintenance on government handouts is preferable to individual success and progress.
At what point are people going to get so sick of having almost no representation in this state (since we don’t live in NYC where all the political power is held) and start resorting to methods other than voting?
Those numbers sure are high, I mostly blame NY corruption and the incompetence of state employees. I’m sure there are more not so obvious factors involved also. I think it’s a good program for people who need it, it just needs some fixin’.
A huge part of the problem in NYS is that the government is not held accountable and therefore is largely unresponsive to many voters.
Take a look at–>this<-- and note the number of seats that haven’t been contested in over 10 years. There are some assholes who have been in office since the 70’s.
Stop voting party-line or name recognition. Throw out incumbents. Get involved in grass-roots organizing to support a politician that will represent YOU.
Rally for ethics reform, campaign finance reform, public funded campaigns, lobby reform. Take the special interests out of government and take back the power.
Instead we let corporations, unions, professional organizations and other big-money dictate what laws are made and how we’re governed.
+1 for the “If we agree on something, it should be pretty much common sense” group.
That said, it will take Sheldon Silver keeling over at his desk to get it done. His constituents have no reason to vote him out. He brings home the bacon. Changing the procedures like the Senate did requires his approval. The rest of the Assembly going against him is political suicide. It would take a bipartisan coalition or a whole shitload of primary challenges.
