tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post7133575913647612404..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: By rejecting Obamacare, Texas forgoes up to $240 million in federal funds per biennium for prison health careGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-84908592420363101162014-06-06T10:07:53.353-05:002014-06-06T10:07:53.353-05:00There appeared to be a lack of life-cycle costing ...There appeared to be a lack of life-cycle costing of disease at this hearing. Most of the testimony and discussion was only reacting to the current budget and disease rates. To keep this short, diabetes is a major driver of downstream care costs. Yet no one addressed this issue. Also the New Hep-C drug, at $63K per course, must be viewed in the context of avoiding other expensive medications and the costs of end of life liver disease care. Also factored in is that the new HEP-C standard of care saves someone's life.Peter Marananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-35692294782929032432014-06-04T00:21:59.109-05:002014-06-04T00:21:59.109-05:00Red ~ given the low numbers of the public who actu...Red ~ given the low numbers of the public who actually vote, I don't think having to explain things to them is the issue. Needing to pull the Lege politicians out of the last century, and convincing the media that sensible (not even "early", given that many inmates are not paroled when they are legally eligible for parole) parole practices is a good thing, is the real task here.sunray's wenchhttp://texasprisonsupport.createaforum.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-29513010380813301962014-06-03T11:51:35.422-05:002014-06-03T11:51:35.422-05:00It's really a shame that Texas didn't expa...It's really a shame that Texas didn't expand Medicaid. It's literally a life-or-death situation for sick people at the income cut-off for ACA plans. Besides, Texas is going to pay for their care anyway when they wind up in the emergency room. I mean, what Rick Perry did is turn down free money because he'd rather pay more for a worse system. 'Murica!<br /><br />But in the meantime, compassionate release for eligible inmates could help relieve some of the pressure on prisoner health care systems. I don't think you're supposed to keep people who haven't been sentenced to life in prison if they have a fatal illness anyway, right? Obviously, letting people out of prison isn't very popular, but maybe if we calmly explain the situation to the public ... okay, I can see how that's not going to work."Red" Merriweather Coasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16462819680150178346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-30793845837643192322014-06-03T08:04:25.411-05:002014-06-03T08:04:25.411-05:00
I have to admit, when i was growing up in th...<br /><br /> I have to admit, when i was growing up in the UK, we always thought of the US as a place with limited regulation, low taxes and freedom from people arbitrarily breaking down your door, whereas we were stuck with EU regulations on the straightness of bananas and the metric system, high taxes and the local Plod being able to beat the cr*p out of you if you were the wrong colour/ From the North or Ireland/ looked at them funny.<br /><br /> Seems while the UK has rolled back a lot of of that rubbish, the US has gone other other way. Shame.<br />Nigel Jones Solicitorhttp://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/law/article2988193.ecenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-69882820146626867062014-06-02T16:45:39.530-05:002014-06-02T16:45:39.530-05:00A lively discussion today indeed. I'll contri...A lively discussion today indeed. I'll contribute my 2 cents too.<br /><br />My understanding as a Grits reader is that UTMB & TX Tech have continued to treat prisoners by mandate for years in spite of the fact that the state remains millions of dollars in arrears for prior years' bills (perhaps Grits could tell us the amount or correct me if I'm wrong). HOW they continue to operate under a deficit baffles me, but I'm certain that patient care suffers in the resulting negative work environment. I know because my father is one of those sick & elderly inmates, and for him getting "treatment" is downright dangerous.<br /><br />So for the Texas Lege to proudly & stubbornly refuse that $240 million feels like an arrogant spit in face to the prisoners, their families who suffer alongside them, AND the overworked & underpaid healthcare providers at TDCJ, UTMB, & TX Tech.<br /><br />And please don't assume that every sick & elderly prisoner would be a drain on the state for health care upon release. My dad probably isn't the only inmate who earned full health care benefits from his 25 year military career prior to his (wrongful) conviction & incarceration. Yes, federal tax dollars would fund his care upon release, but he earned it serving his country. Furthermore it would cost far less to care for him in the somewhat functional VA system than in the completely dysfunctional TDCJ system.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01386702710190661501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-58198040227817335422014-06-02T16:37:39.905-05:002014-06-02T16:37:39.905-05:00Sovaldi at $1000 a pill! The cost on this side of ...Sovaldi at $1000 a pill! The cost on this side of the pond is under $700 a pillPaul-UKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-6395329398345781652014-06-02T16:36:11.452-05:002014-06-02T16:36:11.452-05:00There's no jobs out here for the crime-free pe...There's no jobs out here for the crime-free people,let alone convicts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-8680622386939527302014-06-02T11:18:48.156-05:002014-06-02T11:18:48.156-05:00Mr Cowboy ~ I was advocating paroling more over 55...Mr Cowboy ~ I was advocating paroling more over 55s so that they could work and contribute to their own health insurance, and building a hospice for the termially ill so that resources could be better managed for their care :)<br /><br />One thing also struck me as odd. If America is so hot on self-made wealth, why do parolees have to be employed by someone else? Why can't they run their own businesses, like lawn cutting, fence building, etc? As long as they pay their taxes and parole fees, why should it matter if they are self-employed or employed?sunray's wenchhttp://texasprisonsupport.createaforum.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-86892170194762538232014-06-02T10:22:35.101-05:002014-06-02T10:22:35.101-05:00Well we have some lively opinions today.I do not b...Well we have some lively opinions today.I do not believe Obamacare is Crack for the State Lege, It is however Crack for Obama and the Insurance industry. Ms. Sunray you are always good to hear from and I see no problem in paroling terminally ill inmates, but you must realize they just go on someone's budget. They cannot work and their healthcare must be addressed, at least until the Obama death camps are in full swing. At present we all know the State provides the minimum of legally required healthcare to inmates. They would as soon let them die as waste money on them, this is Texas, it's been that way for over a hundred years and aint gonna change. You may force their leaders to provide lip service to lofty morals and ideals but the reality is they could care less and we all are grown ups and we know it. i am all for rehab Social and substance, and most assuredly in regard to employment. Lets explore this; Social and substance abuse rehab are addressable issues and to a certain extent so is employment, we do however need to realize that it is the norm now for companies to hire people at 30 hours a week to negate the need to offer benefits so if we don't change employment laws no future hires will have insurance or any type of benefits as corporation lobbyists have helped them legalize their scrooge like countenance. 11:51 That was really helpful (Gee Wally!) 12:12 Really? No kidding? That's your shot? Hey rodsmith, How are you? I know I can always count on you for some biting social commentary. To skifool I would say, I think that is the reason we are not Obama drones, we have people who care about the strings that come with that Manna people keep touting, and telling them they MUST accept. We are Americans, we have brains we are not now or ever going to be Washington's Lackey's. 7:38 I agree we should be very cautious there are some things we lose by choosing to live as Texans but the freedom of choice is not one of them, we cannot accept their money if it curtails our right to govern and make decisions that are good for our State. Grits, I love this blog, thanks for allowing us to blow off our steam and opinions The Homeless Cowboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004267716709384953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-58533357794702031532014-06-02T09:29:21.853-05:002014-06-02T09:29:21.853-05:00Hmmmm ... @8:57, perhaps you're unaware that p...Hmmmm ... @8:57, perhaps you're unaware that prison health care already must comply with minimum constitutional standards set by federal courts. In California, failure to comply with court-created standards recently resulted in a federal court order to reduce their prison population by about 25%. Texas' system for years was under a special master for similar reasons (see Ruiz vs. Estelle).<br /><br />The feds are in our business on prison health care either way. The issue is whether Texas would like their money as well as their mandates. $240 million out of a billion-dollar-per-biennium prison health care budget is a substantial chunk, and it wouldn't come with any strings that aren't already in place.<br /><br />@9:14, as it stands your federal taxes pay for Medicaid in other states and Texas gets nothing out of the deal (at least, in Medicaid funds). Why would you prefer your taxes to pay for indigent health care in California, New York, etc., but not Texas?Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-53617467666502861012014-06-02T09:14:44.548-05:002014-06-02T09:14:44.548-05:00Federal Funds, it is still my money. So who is goi...Federal Funds, it is still my money. So who is going to raise my taxes, Texas or the Feds?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-62584468203022207832014-06-02T08:57:30.330-05:002014-06-02T08:57:30.330-05:00school marm - and you my friend seem ignorant of t...school marm - and you my friend seem ignorant of the grant requirements that are attached to federal grant funds that regulate the operations of the education system. Doesn't matter the percentage, as soon as there is acceptance of federal education money you must abide by the federal guidelines, administrative law, etc. etc. not just with federal dollars but with the local and state money as well. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-59010900139997798092014-06-02T08:33:58.306-05:002014-06-02T08:33:58.306-05:00"Just look a t what a great job fed. dollars ..."Just look a t what a great job fed. dollars have done for quality of education across the nation"<br /><br />7:38, you seem ignorant about how schools are funded. Ask your local school board rep what percent of district funds comes from the feds - 90% is state and local.school marmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-43567752476146636682014-06-02T07:38:31.241-05:002014-06-02T07:38:31.241-05:00States should reject the urge to jump on federal d...States should reject the urge to jump on federal dollars as the go-2-solution. States should take care of their own problems. Just look a t what a great job fed. dollars have done for quality of education across the nation. NO THANKSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-22753220079931839742014-06-02T04:13:03.251-05:002014-06-02T04:13:03.251-05:00On the refusal of the State to take the Medicaid $...On the refusal of the State to take the Medicaid $$$, one word fits: "Shameful."Skifoolnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-89927585978356687052014-06-01T21:08:32.395-05:002014-06-01T21:08:32.395-05:00interesting!
"Some 15,000 TDCJ inmates have ...interesting!<br /><br />"Some 15,000 TDCJ inmates have been diagnosed with Hepatitis C, but only about 100 are presently undergoing treatment."<br /><br />Could be a hell of a payday for a nice class action lawsuit by a good lawyer.<br /><br />or course the article does not state how much of that 15k got it INSIDE the prison.rodsmithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-91973356797221764722014-06-01T12:12:43.062-05:002014-06-01T12:12:43.062-05:00Reduce the number of crimes: drugs, prostitution,...Reduce the number of crimes: drugs, prostitution, possession of child pornography and thereby reduce the number of prisoners. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-4536829934707317522014-06-01T11:51:58.724-05:002014-06-01T11:51:58.724-05:00Part of being a republican is the firm requirement...Part of being a republican is the firm requirement of being pound smart and penny foolish. That, and not being able to see the forest because of the trees...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-42997126621291913612014-06-01T09:48:12.449-05:002014-06-01T09:48:12.449-05:00It's fascinating, and the answers are staring ...It's fascinating, and the answers are staring them in the face for some instances/inmates, yet the Lege still wont do anything about it all.<br /><br />Paroling the over 55s, or at least giving them more favourable odds (points system?) for parole would help TDCJ, but in the long term TDCJ and the Lege would need to make more effort to keep the support network in place outside of prison for those inmates while they serve their time. <br /><br />Building a dedicated hospice unit may be an idea for the terminally ill inmates currently taking up those 400+ medical beds. That might make the TDCJ Officer's union happy (more jobs?) and could equally help other inmates in training in end of life care (other states manage this, such as Oregon).<br /><br />But if more effort was put into rehab (social, substance and employment), and inmates' progress tracked more thoroughly and encouraged from the day they enter TDCJ, then better/smarter parole decisions could be made across the whole inmate population.<br /><br />They need to get the media on side, because they are the ones in general whipping up the hysteria about paroling unsuitable inmates. sunray's wenchhttp://texasprisonsupport.createaforum.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-10405613829842142702014-06-01T09:45:24.302-05:002014-06-01T09:45:24.302-05:00Obamacare=Crack for state legislatures. Obamacare=Crack for state legislatures. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com