tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post879491237837805155..comments2024-03-15T05:45:01.402-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Obamacare provision a boon to budget writers on state prison health costs but complicates UTMB negotiationsGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-69692770018015648732011-10-24T14:13:16.127-05:002011-10-24T14:13:16.127-05:00Ok Mom I am so ready to rock the worlds of our law...Ok Mom I am so ready to rock the worlds of our lawmakers. When, where and how can we get the families together? I am ready, and willing to do whatever it takes. I live in north Texas. My email is cfc76085@gmail.com. Lets come up with a plan and implement it. I am sure there has to be more family members fed up with tdcj and how it is run. CathyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-37091845321652663822011-10-24T08:46:05.937-05:002011-10-24T08:46:05.937-05:00@Deborah: Offenders are already dying due to decre...@Deborah: Offenders are already dying due to decreased healthcare staff and hours.<br /><br />@A Mom: People in this country in general need to come together against corporate corruption. That's the root of this issue. <br /><br />Perry's camp has tried and tried to have prison health care private. If Perry's pockets were being lined by a private company, the money would be there to pay the companies to come in and take over. However, none of them can do it at the $9/hr rate that UTMB does it at. So no profit for Perry=no money for healthcare. <br /><br />This is essentially what Occupy Wall Street is all about. Corporate interests are running our country into the ground in every single sector. Their money in politics is the root of the problem. Eliminate profit from serving in a public office, serving your country, which should be a privilege, not a career.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-70204568222672912082011-10-23T12:37:08.831-05:002011-10-23T12:37:08.831-05:00It is time for the families of offenders to come t...It is time for the families of offenders to come together. In addition to God only knows how many innocent people, we have low level, non-violent offenders in prison on technical violations of probation involving money. Most were given deferred adjudication with outrageous conditions of probation and astronomical costs for evals, assessments, treatment, probation fees and court costs and fines. Once the probationer or their family couldn't keep up with the costs, the probationer was revoked and the "criminal" was sent to "pay their debt to society" at the cost to taxpayers. And, most of the sentences are for a minimum of 5 years in some counties. The cost to incarcerate the delinquent probationer is costing far more than what the probationer owed. <br /><br />Providing basic healthcare and food for inmates is called civilized, not socialist.A Momnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-76464025583637812402011-10-22T19:43:08.229-05:002011-10-22T19:43:08.229-05:00I agree with you Cathy and this is one time that I...I agree with you Cathy and this is one time that I agree with Prison Doc. As usual Grits you are right and thanks for staying on top of it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-43514748685507425512011-10-22T18:36:14.713-05:002011-10-22T18:36:14.713-05:00It is way past time for families of inmates come t...It is way past time for families of inmates come together and force changes. We have the numbers. It is time for reckoning of tdcj, the bpp and our legislators.<br />CathyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-21545717277738038352011-10-22T15:43:09.371-05:002011-10-22T15:43:09.371-05:00I have got news for all of you, if UTMB quits as T...I have got news for all of you, if UTMB quits as TDCJ Healthcare provider, we are going to have alot of dead prisoners, who have been left to rot! If UTMB quits TDCJ, then TDCJ has no one to monitor whether they are providing care to the inmates or not; I know this first hand, as my husband is one of those inmates! The money that will be paid into the healthcare for the inmates, will be taken by TDCJ and not used for healthcare! Think about that one! There will be no accountability by TDCJ to anyone about how they are caring/not caring for our loved ones! I agree with 1100, we have some really screwed up priorities in this STATE! I agree with what Gravyrug said too about spreading illness to all of us. And I agree with Prisondoc-- they just lock up anyone and then scream about taking care of them-- let the non-violent offenders out!<br />It seems that the people of Texas have their heads in their posteriors, when it comes to TDCJ and the inmates-- the ONLY ones who care are the loved ones, who are outside taking care of the inmates, because the system does not! We are having to pick up the $100.00 tab per year on the inmates care, which most of us are living hand-to-mouth and cannot afford it, as we are also paying court costs and such! I feel if TDCJ is going to lock up the breadwinners of the families on a tech violation, then they should have to 'foot the bill' for their meals, medical care and supplies too, which the inmate would do if they were home with their families!Deborahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09430613911174820436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-67111713552554885232011-10-22T12:35:31.160-05:002011-10-22T12:35:31.160-05:00Just my opinion but I don't really believe thi...Just my opinion but I don't really believe this will be a factor after 2012 because I think Obamacare will go away when he does. The way things are going, he will not be re-elected and a Republican controlled house and Senate is probable and they will do away with Obamacare.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-62975532299264524892011-10-21T20:00:36.041-05:002011-10-21T20:00:36.041-05:00I don't see how this will work due to security...I don't see how this will work due to security reasons. Most of the hospitals are leary of the inmates being in their care anyway they don't have the security staff and they send 2 TDCJ officers with each inmate. TDCJ doesn't have enough officers to send with every inmate who needs hospital care either. This would create a great danger to the public!<br />Policy changes would help with the cost of the unit based clinics and I don't mean the lay off's or the great KOP experiment which failed recently but thats another soap box.<br />Nerves are frayed at the units it is stressful to not know who you will be working for next month, year or what kind of benefits you will have. The last 2 yrs have been rough! Time will tell.Nurseypoohnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-73634460015388355472011-10-21T19:49:16.920-05:002011-10-21T19:49:16.920-05:00"When exactly was this policy implemented?&qu..."When exactly was this policy implemented?" <br /><br />4:29, see the chart in <a href="http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2007/01/dewhurst-wrong-that-population-growth.html" rel="nofollow">this post</a> and you can pretty much tell when they began to be implemented.<br /><br />4:34, I don't use Twitter, sorry. You can sign up in the right sidebar to receive a daily email each morning with the previous day's posts.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-19836958471829892412011-10-21T16:34:43.099-05:002011-10-21T16:34:43.099-05:00Grits are you on twitter? I love your blogs and wo...Grits are you on twitter? I love your blogs and would love to follow you! (I am one of the many stressed out utmb cmc employees)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-42474850116235564922011-10-21T16:29:55.217-05:002011-10-21T16:29:55.217-05:00What exactly are "mass incarceration policies...What exactly are "mass incarceration policies?" When exactly was this policy implemented? I just thought we were locking up convicted criminals who were deemed by juries or judges to be unfit to remain in a free society. Ya'll make it sound like these criminals are some kind of political prisoners or something. That's pretty absurd.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-1945920281964097712011-10-21T13:41:44.350-05:002011-10-21T13:41:44.350-05:00I agree with Prison Doc, if the Federal government...I agree with Prison Doc, if the Federal government has no say in the criminal justice policies in the state, then they should not be the ones paying for the it. Texas is only willing to change policies when budgets get tight. If the state is able to shift the costs to another party that has no say in its policies, what will prevent the state from continuing mass incarceration policies? Feds should pay for healthcare for the Federal inmates and States should pay for the state inmates. I shouldn't have my federal taxes raised because of policies in California I am unable to vote on or change. If we want Feds to pay for it then control of the whole system, policies and everything need to be shifted over to them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-31660401476588623032011-10-21T12:29:44.642-05:002011-10-21T12:29:44.642-05:00`You are all wrong. Nobody wins on this deal. Me...`You are all wrong. Nobody wins on this deal. Medicaid is never a good answer, reimbursement of costs is so small as to almost make billing them a waste of time. Granted, this would allow some cost shifting to occur, but medical providers at every level--UTMB and local hospitals too--would get the shaft, making their financial situation even worse. It's not an helpful change. <br /><br />Furthermore, Texas taxpayers shouldn't get off the hook anyway: it's their public servants, legislators and local criminal justice systems that are keeping all these offenders locked up with their attendant medical expenses.Prison Dochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03651611135066437902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-42098957706581341212011-10-21T12:04:25.634-05:002011-10-21T12:04:25.634-05:0011:00, you're not insenstive, just foolish and...11:00, you're not insenstive, just foolish and somewhat ignorant. The question isn't whether or not taxpayers pay for prisoner health care, it's whether the state of Texas pays 100% from its budget or passes some of it along to federal indigent care programs. As long as we have mass incarceration, taxpayers are on the hook.<br /><br />Besides, requirements by federal courts are what mandate the state pay for prisoner healthcare, why shouldn't the feds help pick up the tab?Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-13673359584845244662011-10-21T11:34:13.660-05:002011-10-21T11:34:13.660-05:00Umm, anon 11:00, are you suggesting that prisoners...Umm, anon 11:00, are you suggesting that prisoners should be left to rot? That shows not only a callous disregard for human life, but a serious disregard for public safety. Most prisoners do eventually get out of jail, and if they come out sick, they can spread that sickness to the rest of us. It is in all our best interests to provide basic medical care to incarcerated people.gravyrugnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-59209789085215732582011-10-21T11:00:11.982-05:002011-10-21T11:00:11.982-05:00You've got to be kidding me! God I hope the Su...You've got to be kidding me! God I hope the Supreme Court strikes this socialist welfare program down. It makes no difference if inmate health care is paid for by the state or federal governments. Ultimately, it's the taxpayers who are having to foot the bill. When there are millions of children in this country without healthcare, it just defies common since that we're spending tax dollars for health care for criminals. Call me insensitive, but we have some really screwed up priorities in this country!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com