Medicaid muddle and the AARP redeems itself

As those with loved ones in nursing homes are painfully aware, this past legislative session the General Assembly, based on the Governor's recommendation, voted to eliminate the "medically needy" program, something that is optional and not required by federal law (that is, the Social Security Act). In fact, the majority of the states have this program until it was voted out this past legislative session (for this reason, at GABEO in June I advised Rep. Tyrone Brooks that he should seek elimination of the doing away with this program rather than just postponing its effective date).

The elimination of this program came as one of several health benefit cuts recommended by Perdue and passed by the General Assembly. When I saw this in the Governor Perdue's proposed budget early during the budgeting process, my firm wrote our Republican Senator suggesting the cuts needed to come elsewhere, as this group could hardly stand the hit.

I e-mailed my buddy Bill Shipp and told him that if this budget passed, that once the elimination of the medically needed program plus the legislation providing for the implementation of the Estate Recovery Rules became public, the stuff was going to hit the fan.

It has on the former, and to a lesser extent on the latter. But you will hear more about Estate Recovery Rules as times goes on.

The following is history. The reason for my post. Being 55 I qualify for being a member of AARP. I am not.

However, had I been a member, I probably would have dropped out in genuine frustration of this organization's endorsement of the Bush-sponsored prescription drug benefit bill.

Well, according to the ajc on 8-1-04, the AARP has redeemed itself:

"'AARP Georgia is shocked and outraged at the governor's attempts to balance the budget on the backs of the state's oldest, most infirm and economically disadvantaged residents,' said Cas Robinson, president of the group."