Sorry it's an attachment. It's how I received it and don't know how
to change it, but interesting info about our slacker governor. He wants to
cut some more budgets than he already has.
Stacy
"People who hate you do not win unless you hate them. Then you destroy
yourself"
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 1:43 PM
Subject: [Health Care-alert] Urgent Action Needed!!!!
| Forward this
newsletter to friends & family |
23 September 2004 |
Ehrlich's health care cuts will
destroy people's lives
Our last email to you talked about how things
are getting tougher for us all when it comes to health insurance coverage.
Premiums keep going up, people are losing their employer-sponsored coverage, and
more people are becoming uninsured.
What if I told you now that Governor
Ehrlich is attempting to overwhelm the fragile health care safety net by
dropping coverage for hundreds of thousands of children, seniors, pregnant
women, disabled people, the mentally ill and the chronically
ill? What would you do if I told you these
people slashing measures will cost YOU more in the long run? Cutting Medicaid and health services in general is bad
health policy, bad fiscal policy, and bad politics, plain and
simple. For the Marylanders who lose coverage, their lives will
never be the same. But if you have health insurance, the Governor's move
could make your policies much more expensive as the newly uninsured move back to
the emergency room for at least some level of care (care whose cost will passed
along to you). Lest we all forget, we are one emergency room visit or a
chronic disease away from having no health care ourselves.
The Baltimore
Sun and Washington
Post today revealed that the State Health Department is looking to
drastically cut health care services. Click here if you
want to see the entire list of Health Department proposed cuts. We need to
stop these cuts in their tracks.
One email. One phone call. AND
forwarding this email like crazy.
Stopping these health care cuts are in your best interest. These cuts will
be devastating to people's health and devastating to Maryland taxpayers in the
long run We need you, your families and friends to take immediate action.
What can I do to stop these
cuts? (Please do three out of four)
One phone
call - Call the Governor's
Office at 410-974-3901 or toll free at 1-800-811-8336
and tell his aides to "Stop
the health care cuts." Tell him/her that dropping health coverage for
children, seniors, pregnant women, the disabled, and mentally ill is a bad
idea. Leave your name and address if they ask for
it.
One
email - Go to our action center by clicking
here. Fill out your
contact info, write a sentence or two why you think these cuts are a bad idea
and hit send. Your email will be delivered to Governor Ehrlich and cc'd to
Speaker Busch, and Senate President Miller.
Forward this email - Send this to friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors in
Maryland. Let's overwhelm the Governor's Office with our
anger!
Extra
Credit
- Send a brief letter (no
more than 200 words) to the editor to the Baltimore Sun (click here) and Washington Post (click here) telling the editors of your
displeasure. Be sure to include your contact info, full name, and
day/evening telephone numbers.
Candidate Ehrlich Promise
#1
"And Maryland's health care for the poor -- once
a model for other states -- must be rebuilt and adequately
funded." -- Candidate Ehrlich, (on his
website), Oct. 2002
- Drop all 110,000 children
covered under MCHP - the Children's Health Insurance Program
- Stop covering the "medically
needy" population (some of our state's most ill patients)
- Drop 1700 patients from the
Maryland Primary Care Program
- Eliminate the Kidney Disease
Program
- Eliminate Medical Day
Care
- Eliminate coverage for
transplant services
- Limit prescription coverage to
4 prescriptions per month for non-nursing home adults
Candidate Ehrlich Promise
#2
"Townsend, a Democrat, and Ehrlich, a Republican
said they would not reduce Medicaid benefits that pay for mental health
services, a tempting pot of money during the state's lean budget times."
- Baltimore
Sun, Sept. 28, 2002
- Discontinue mental health
coverage for uninsured individuals
- Discontinue certain mental
health services for those who are enrolled in Medicaid
- Close 4 Community Mental Health
Centers including RICA Southern MD, RICA Baltimore, RICA Gildner, and the
Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center
Candidate Ehrlich Promise
#3
Bob understands that at-risk pregnant women need
case management to help them deliver healthy children."
-- Candidate Ehrlich, (on his
website), Oct. 2002
- Eliminate prenatal care and
medical services for pregnant women who make more than $17,223
Candidate Ehrlich Promise
#4
"Drug treatment, health care, and mental health
programs that help residents of our state become functioning citizens must be
restored."
-- Candidate Ehrlich,
(on his website), Oct. 2002
- Make women who are raped pay for evidence
collection
- Drop breast and cervical cancer screening and
treatment coverage for women who make from $13,900 to $23,000. These
women will no longer be eligible for a mammogram, PAP test, or other services
to help in the diagnosis and treatment of breast and cervical
cancer. The state health department reports that about 1200 women
effected by these cuts, "may die".
- Drop family and individual suppport services
for those with disabilities
- Eliminate long term residential
care and intermediate care for those addicted to alcohol and drugs
- Quit monitoring quality of care
in mental health, alcohol and drug treatment, and assisted living facilities
- Significantly reduce funding to
local health departments to provide screening for sexually transmitted
diseases, child and maternal health programs, and other preventive health
programs. The state health department estimates that loss of these funds
will lead to employee layoffs and elimination of certain local health
department efforts.
- Reduce services to those with
HIV and eliminate health coverage to over 50 people
Candidate Ehrlich
Promise #5
"Expand the Medicaid Home and Community Based
Services Waiver -- Bob will continue funding this important program to allow
seniors to move into community based settings." -- Candidate Ehrlich, (on his website), Oct.
2002
- Eliminate the Older Adult Waiver - allows
certain low income seniors a chance to receive their care in community
settings rather than in nursing homes
- Eliminate the Model Waiver - allows certain
seniors who otherwise would need hospital or nursing home care to get their
treatment in community facilities
- Increase out-of-pocket costs for seniors
dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare
We cannot win health care for
all without your participation, so thank you in advance for your
help.
Vinny,
Glenn, Rosanna, Matt, Kristy, and all our
volunteers
The Maryland Health Care for All! Coaltion
is a broad-based
coalition of 1100 faith, labor, business and community groups that have been
working to guarantee all Marylanders access to quality, affordable health care.
To learn more, visit http://www.healthcareforall.com
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