Overburdened hospitals are shutting down

[Rachel Rugelach]

"Rural hospitals are struggling all over the nation because of population declines, soaring labor costs and a long-term shift toward outpatient care. But those problems have been magnified by a political choice in Mississippi and nine other states, all with Republican-controlled legislatures.

"They have spurned the federal government’s offer to shoulder almost all the cost of expanding Medicaid coverage for the poor. And that has heaped added costs on hospitals because they cannot legally turn away patients, insured or not."

Link to full article: ‘We’re Going Away’: A State’s Choice to Forgo Medicaid Funds Is Killing Hospitals

Somebody, please explain it to me:

1. Why is the U.S. perhaps the wealthiest nation in the world, but we can't afford to provide health care for our citizens?

2. How can Republican members of Congress, in good conscience, comfortably avail themselves of the health benefits provided to them and their families by the government, yet still obstruct all efforts to expand Medicaid coverage for the poor?

3. Mississippi has a $3.9 billion surplus in its coffers. Why isn't that money being used to help solve the problem of health care for Mississippi's poor, and keep the hospitals open and running?

 

[Sand Dancer]

"Rural hospitals are struggling all over the nation because of population declines, soaring labor costs and a long-term shift toward outpatient care. But those problems have been magnified by a political choice in Mississippi and nine other states, all with Republican-controlled legislatures.

"They have spurned the federal government’s offer to shoulder almost all the cost of expanding Medicaid coverage for the poor. And that has heaped added costs on hospitals because they cannot legally turn away patients, insured or not."

Link to full article: ‘We’re Going Away’: A State’s Choice to Forgo Medicaid Funds Is Killing Hospitals

Somebody, please explain it to me:

1. Why is the U.S. perhaps the wealthiest nation in the world, but we can't afford to provide health care for our citizens?

2. How can Republican members of Congress, in good conscience, comfortably avail themselves of the health benefits provided to them and their families by the government, yet still obstruct all efforts to expand Medicaid coverage for the poor?

3. Mississippi has a $3.9 billion surplus in its coffers. Why isn't that money being used to help solve the problem of health care for Mississippi's poor, and keep the hospitals open and running?

We can afford it. Some people hate the government more than they love people. Fundamentalist Christians were told in the 70s that the government is evil. I guess because countries with safety nets ignore religion.

Butts in seats/tithes in the bank matter more than people's lives.

You got me there.

 

[Rachel Rugelach]

As if it wasn't bad enough that poor people in need of more comprehensive health care are facing obstruction in Republican-controlled states, now we have the blocking of people's health insurance based on the religious convictions of those who shouldn't have any say at all in somebody else's preventative care.

"(Reuters) -A federal judge in Texas on Thursday blocked Obamacare's mandate that health insurance plans cover preventive care, including pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV (PrEP) and screenings for cancer, diabetes and depression at no cost to patients.

"U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, previously found that the PrEP mandate violated a federal religious freedom law and that other preventive care mandates were based on recommendations by an illegally appointed task force.

"The judge has now blocked the federal government from enforcing the mandates, a victory for conservative businesses and individuals that sued to challenge them in 2020.

"The legal challenge was brought by eight individuals and two businesses, all from Texas. They argued that the free PrEP requirement requires business owners and consumers to pay for services that 'encourage homosexual behavior, prostitution, sexual promiscuity and intravenous drug use' despite their religious beliefs."

Link to full article: Judge blocks ACA coverage mandate for cancer, diabetes screenings, PrEP

It seems that some people believe that their religious beliefs take precedence over the health care of others, based on their assumptions that people in need of health screening are requesting it only to thwart the Morality Police.

 

[Sand Dancer]

As if it wasn't bad enough that poor people in need of more comprehensive health care are facing obstruction in Republican-controlled states, now we have the blocking of people's health insurance based on the religious convictions of those who shouldn't have any say at all in somebody else's preventative care.

"(Reuters) -A federal judge in Texas on Thursday blocked Obamacare's mandate that health insurance plans cover preventive care, including pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV (PrEP) and screenings for cancer, diabetes and depression at no cost to patients.

"U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, previously found that the PrEP mandate violated a federal religious freedom law and that other preventive care mandates were based on recommendations by an illegally appointed task force.

"The judge has now blocked the federal government from enforcing the mandates, a victory for conservative businesses and individuals that sued to challenge them in 2020.

"The legal challenge was brought by eight individuals and two businesses, all from Texas. They argued that the free PrEP requirement requires business owners and consumers to pay for services that 'encourage homosexual behavior, prostitution, sexual promiscuity and intravenous drug use' despite their religious beliefs."

Link to full article: Judge blocks ACA coverage mandate for cancer, diabetes screenings, PrEP

It seems that some people believe that their religious beliefs take precedence over the health care of others, based on their assumptions that people in need of health screening are requesting it only to thwart the Morality Police.

They really are mean and malicious people.