Thursday, August 10, 2006

Doctors come out en masse against proposed Medicaid fraud legislation

It comes as no surprise that at a hearing held Wednesday in Springfield, medical doctors from that area came out en masse to testify at a hearing against proposed Medicaid fraud legislation.
Apparently, the committee, which has as its chairman a doctor, Rep. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, is making a show of holding hearings across the state then having one doctor after another testifying that if you tighten rules against fraud, they're going to take their ball and go home.
Where were these well-heeled professionals when the legislature was removing many poor Missourians from access to Medicaid. Their voices were silent then.
The Springfield News-Leader story I linked to provides one horror story after another about the long waits Medicaid patients have to go through and the damage it does to their health. It appears these waits come because the doctors put them on the shelf because they are Medicaid patients. In other words, if you're poor, everyone else gets in line in front of you.
The doctors suggested one form of compromise they would be willing to accept- they would be happy to accept the legislation if they receive more money for treating these patients.
At that time, they would be willing to accept efforts to eliminate fraud from Medicaid. Until that time occurs, the poor can take their problems to the emergency rooms.

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