Well, now Texas Repubs are moving on to old folks - AARP statement in my paper

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2011/03/25/opinion/doc4d8b732276ccb347317444.txt

AARP statement on budget’s impact on seniors
Published: Thursday, March 24, 2011 11:42 AM CDT
AUSTIN, Texas –The preliminary budget just passed by the House Appropriations Committee would balance the state’s finances on the backs of Texas’ most vulnerable seniors, AARP officials said Wednesday. House Bill 1 would cut one-third or more from the current funding levels for critical long-term care programs, including cost-effective community care services and nursing homes.

Ollie Besteiro, President of AARP Texas, said the proposed cuts to Medicaid-funded nursing homes and community-based long term care are unacceptable. Under the proposed budget, home health care agencies would struggle to even pay minimum wage to attendants, causing many agencies to go out of business. Since two-thirds of Texas seniors in nursing homes rely on Medicaid to partially fund their care, many nursing homes would struggle under the cuts to hire quality staff or to even stay in business.

“Long term care support for our seniors, already stretched to the limit, simply cannot withstand cuts of this magnitude,” Besteiro said. “It adds insult to injury.”

Besteiro said that for the more than 125,000 seniors in community-based long-term care services – such as the Primary Home Care Program and the Community Attendant Services – the funding cuts would severely reduce the supply of home care workers, pushing more frail seniors into inadequately funded nursing homes.

“Texas has done a good job of developing cost-effective alternatives to nursing home care,” added Besteiro. “Since these community programs cost less than a third of nursing home care, the rate cuts proposed by the committee make no sense at all, either from a financial or human perspective.”

Direct care workers in Texas often make about minimum wage for what is typically very demanding and intensely personal work. Because of this, it will be much more difficult for seniors who need care at home to find reliable attendant services, funneling them into already underfunded nursing homes. Texas already pays the second lowest nursing home reimbursement rates in the country and AARP maintains there is a strong relationship between the number, skill level and longevity of nursing home staff and the safety and dignity of Texans in nursing homes.

“The proposed Medicaid provider rate cuts would force nursing homes to cut staff, placing the lives of more than 54,000 vulnerable Texas nursing home residents at risk,” Besteiro said.

Earlier this year, AARP surveyed its members on the state budget shortfall and found that three out of every four members (76 percent) oppose cutting health and human services, including long-term care services for older persons. The opposition to such cuts came across party lines (Democrats, 77 percent; Independents; 68 percent; Republicans, 57 percent). The survey of 1,501 members has a sampling error of plus or minus 2.5 percent.

AARP has more than 2.2 million members in Texas.

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. The AARP had better get busy and rally the troops nationwide

otherwise the repukes are going to decimate senior services.

[TheKentuckian]

2. These evil fuckers should be drug out of their holes and put down.

[midnight]

3. Nothing matters but tax cut entitlement programs for the wealthy....

[w8liftinglady]

4. and then they'll move on to the handicapped and mentally challenged.... oh,wait

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/texas-legislature/headlines/20100825-Proposed-budget-cuts-tough-on-Texas-2508.ece

http://www.texasobserver.org/contrarian/the-faces-of-the-budget-cuts/itemlist/category/46-observations

http://www.texaswatch.org/2011/02/texas-businesses-serving-frail-warn-cuts-would-close-their-doors/

http://www.care2.com/causes/health-policy/blog/texas-police-now-in-charge-of-states-mentally-ill/

[Scuba]

5. And it's "cross marketed" with "time for you dinosaurs to go" blog comments....

Hate your neighbor, he's black.
Hate your neighbor, she's Mexican.
Hate your neighbor, he's gay.
Hate your neighbor, she's Muslim.
Hate your neighbor, he's a Union man.
Hate your neighbor, she's your mother.

[w8liftinglady]

6. What kills me-- tomorrow,they'll boast about what "Good Christians" they are

They are anything BUT.

[AC_Mem]

7. They are the Anti-Christian

and if biblical phophesy is true (which I'm inclined to think... NOT), I'm fully expecting to see the 666's start to rise on their foreheads any time now- but wouldn't it be something if it did happen?

Wait for Hypocritical Christian Conservatives to all start wearing bangs...LOL

Annette

[Another Bill C.]

8. Not 666

You'll have to look for χξς’ as the Book of Revelations was originally written in Greek. A smaller group of scholars believe the number was χιϛ͵ but I'd say that anyone with greek numbers on their forehead is someone to be avoided.

[AC_Mem]

11. heeee

thanks for the smile!

:)

I'm waiting for them to attempt to come knocking on my door again. I had a GREAT time last time the Conservative Born-Again's came knocking on my door(heehee). By the time I was done with them, one turned his back on me and looked up at the sky, one was LITERALLY thumping her bible at me (which I calmly pointed out to her, infuriating her more) and we ended our little visit with them praying for me on my patio. I told them I would pray for the enlightenment of their souls as well as I shut my door.

;)
Annette

[starroute]

9. And the GOP is already going after AARP

http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicare/151907-gop-trains-guns-on-aarp-over-its-support-for-healthcare-reform

GOP sets sights on AARP over its support for healthcare reform
By Julian Pecquet - 03/25/11 01:04 PM ET

Newly empowered House Republicans are getting ready to renew their attacks against AARP over its support for the healthcare reform law, The Hill has learned.

The Ways and Means health and oversight subcommittees are hauling in the seniors lobby's executives before the panel for an April 1 hearing on how the group stands to benefit from the law, among other topics. Republicans say AARP supported the law's $200 billion in cuts to the Medicare Advantage program because it stands to gain financially as seniors replace their MA plans with Medicare supplemental insurance — or Medigap — policies endorsed by the association.

The hearing will cover not only Medigap but "AARP’s organizational structure, management, and financial growth over the last decade."

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. I was just googling regarding the nursing home defunding and your post came up.

Sorry I missed it before, but here's a belated :kick: and R!

The Republicans are trying to kill grandma, or at least throw her out on her butt, here in Texas!

I'd also like to mention that in order for these people to qualify for Medicaid nursing home coverage in the first place, they had to sell their homes and apply that money to the cost of their care. They literally have no place to go back to.