AUGUSTA, Maine — Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew urged lawmakers Tuesday to take steps toward closing an estimated $220 million shortfall in her department, even as an independent review of the red ink remained unfinished.
The nonpartisan Office of Fiscal and Program Review has been working with DHHS to confirm the size of the shortfall and determine how much of the gap is due to one-time costs versus ongoing expenditures. The office stopped short Tuesday of confirming DHHS’ estimates to members of the Legislature’s Appropriations and Health and Human Services committees.
“We are closer, but we are still a ways off from having a good enough understanding to provide independent confirmation of the shortfall,” said Grant Pennoyer, director of the office.
His office doesn’t yet have a complete picture of assumptions built into the DHHS budget, Pennoyer said. For the last several years, problems with the state’s claims system have prevented regular reporting on what’s driving spending growth in MaineCare, the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, he said. DHHS is working to provide that information but the office can’t certify spending projections or nail down which costs might resurface in the next fiscal year without it, Pennoyer said.
Mayhew reiterated her confidence in Gov. Paul LePage’s budget proposal, saying one-time costs represent nearly $20 million of the $123 million gap in this fiscal year. LePage’s plan to overhaul MaineCare to close that gap also anticipates a roughly $100 million shortfall in the next fiscal year.
Mayhew stressed the need to move forward with the governor’s proposal, saying MaineCare will run out of money in early April.
“What is troubling to me is we believe that you have the information around which to assess the shortfall,” Mayhew said.
LePage’s plan calls for tightening eligibility guidelines, eliminating services and repealing coverage for 65,000 recipients to bring MaineCare closer to national averages for public health benefits.
Democrats said Tuesday’s meeting highlighted MaineCare administration problems, such as the claims system, as drivers of the shortfall.
“So the solution shouldn’t be reduced enrollment,” said Rep. Mark Eves, D-North Berwick. “You shouldn’t change the engine when you need a tuneup.”
Eves also pressed Mayhew on the administration’s plan to secure a waiver from the federal government for several portions of the MaineCare proposal that violate a provision of the Affordable Care Act, including dropping 19- and 20-year-olds from the rolls.
LePage has said Maine has a better shot at a waiver if the Legislature first approves his proposed cuts.
Mayhew said the administration has received no correspondence from federal officials to that effect, but winning legislative approval before applying for the waiver will put pressure on the feds to issue one.
The Affordable Care Act prohibits states from making it more difficult for its residents to enroll in Medicaid, such as through stricter eligibility requirements, pending full implementation of the federal law in 2014.
House Speaker Robert Nutting called on both parties to work together to put the DHHS budget on a path toward solvency.
“Governor LePage has put forward a budget proposal that will accomplish what past administrations failed to do: fix the structural problems in the DHHS budget without raiding other parts of the state budget or relying on gimmicks such as raising cigarette taxes,” he said in a statement. “These ‘kick the can down the road’ approaches have done nothing to solve the structural budget problems within DHHS.”
The Appropriations Committee plans to meet again Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to discuss the DHHS budget.
This is an uncontrolled mess. Eves claims it needs a tuneup and the rest of us think its on life support. Get real and people like Eves ought to make some positive suggestions beyond putting a band aid on a hemorrhage. Grow up and stop playing politics. Lepage is trying to fix a major mess and getting crappy pot shots from dummies like this.
yes you are soooo correct.
Write this down, copy before it gets censured, and Act!
Do Your Part to Clean it Up, Reduce Costs by Reporting Fraud in Maine
Allegations of fraud or attempted fraud involving funds, including Food Stamps,
administered by the Department of Health and Human Services should be sent to:
Fraud, Investigation and Recovery
11 State House Station
Whitten Road
Augusta, Maine 04333-0011
Phone numbers for DHHS Fraud office are:
1-207-287-2409 and 1-800-442-6003
Further questions and suspicions can also be submitted by e-mail.
Fraud.Dhhs@maine.gov
Contact the Office of the Attorney General
Phone: 207-626-8800
Mailing Address:
Office of the Attorney General
6 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
http://www.maine.gov/ag/contac…
Do All three, Phone, E-mail and send a Letter.
Follow-up in 30 days with a Certified letter if no response.
Send a letter Directly to the Governor’s Office, that should get their attention.
Keep a written log of actions and attempts to notify.
Hold them Responsible!
Write this down – GOP majority leader Robert Nutting defrauded Medicaid out of $1.6 million and refuses to pay it back.
We want it back
yessah
Well tell former State Treasurer David Lemoine to give us our $20 million on that failed Wall Street Investment scam that he made. Baldacci giving us back tens of millions on the Failed DHHS computer system. How about Gov. Baldacci on all the taxes he created for his failed Dirigo Health Program , and his subsidies he created so his buddies Angus King, First Wind, Juliet Browne, Kurt Adams all made off of Wind Power Scams.
Those folks didn’t defraud the taxpayers – then hide behind their spouses and finance laws – and refuse to pay that money back.
We should send the bill for Nutting’s fraud to the Maine Heritage Policy Center – their Sugar Daddies (The Koch Brothers) have the cash to pay it.
yessah
So, I guess that explains the good Senator from Hampden’s attempt to change the circut breaker law…? Or how the governor just LOVES natural gas. There is fall out and fall in, in this administration, they are lining up. And it’s only been a year, just look how much we have to talk about. Plowman is nothing but a spoiled rich woman who has nothing to do other to make sure that her company makes money. They make doors and windows, guess what the weatherization program does? Wouldn’t it be nice if she could get this governor to control that money.
Just like the last weatherization program the Liberals put in that was supposed to help “Low Income/Welfare Bums” that ended up helping Democrat Politicians including Emily Cain, Joanne Twomey, Nancy Sullivan , Margaret Craven, Barry Hobbins, Bill Diamond Peggy Rotundo instead. Especially Cain who took thousands of dollars and had work done on her house to make it energy efficent to the point she is saving thousands of dollars a year on her heating and light bills. How about them paying that back. You can attack Republicans and Independents all you want but the Liberals have some explaining to do themselves.
The only way Republicans defend themselves is by trying to say the Dems are bad too. Lame two wrongs make a right arguments are the best the GOP has got.
Scams. How about the Representative Burns who has been reported to the Me. Att. General’s Office for criminal investigation by the Election Ethics commission, and has still not been censured by the Speaker? Now there’s a scam, one that is on going. The reason why the Speaker won’t do anything is because he only holds a 6 vote majority, he needs his little bad puppy now!!
Why are they fighting an independent review of the numbers? As asked by a body that is as equally as powerful and responsible as the governor is? And the proposal, as written didn’t stand a chance of getting a waiver, the Appropriations Committee, have to act on what they know, that’s why they are getting rid of that little problem.
The investment by Lemoine that you mention was 100% recouped and returned to the state treasury.
Please stop spreading lies.
http://www.sunjournal.com/node/233414
He should have been charged with Fraud. But of course we had an activist attorney general in Mills who did nothing but protect her friends in office. Well at least we now have real leadership in Bill Schneider who wants to fight fraud, corruption. Unlike the Libs who would do everything to hide themselves with ripping us taxpayer’s off.
There was no fraud except on the part of the investment house which gave intentionally inflated ratings to some bonds. These bonds were purchased by MANY states and other governments including many run by conservative appointees. The treasurer was able to recoup 100% of the investment because he was given information that violated the fiduciary responsibility of the investment house.
The state treasurer had zero interest in the company issuing the bonds and did not stand to gain one cent from the transaction no matter what happened. There was absolutely no hint of fraud on his part at any point. The purchase of bonds he made was a sound fiscal decision based on the information he was given. No one has the data and background available to make their own investigations into these rating. Investors rely on the bond ratings for the risk assessments of their purchases.
What transgression exists in your imagination that you would use to justify a charge of fraud?
You’re quickly losing credibility, with your partisan rants!
Schneider is part of the GOP fraud and corruption agenda…suing to stop Obamacare, on board with disenfranchising voters and the like.
“please stop spreading lies”. When are you Libs ever going to tell the truth. All you Libs do is want to change the subject to get back in power. Well too bad the Libs have no record to run on. Their record of the last 36 years has failed Maine. While the Governor and Republicans are taking real leadership and fixing the problems that the Libs failed to fix. The fact is the free ride that the Libs and the Welfare Crowd is going out the window and for the average Maine citizen that is a good thing.
1) I am a Republican and support Kevin Raye against Michaud
2) You told a lie about someone. That is not a conservative or liberal issue, it is a lie.
cat is a constant source of GOP misrepresentations, lies and deceit.
Busted
yessah
Quick! Come up w/ a fake Thomas Jefferson quote to use on them!
You have the facts behind this statement? It was never recouped to my knowledge.
Tell LePage to give the people of Maine their mural back.
” The people of Maine”. Sorry only Liberals want that garbage back. The rest of the folks want it destroyed and burned. It does nothing to enhance the image of Maine. When you have a painting that has members of the Baldacci administration in it. It needs to come down, it sends a message of corruption, elitism, socialism. It does not promote the people who create jobs. It is nothing more than Union Propaganda.
It’s not about unions. Only uneducated fools think that. It is about the history of workers. It is a reminder of how far we, as a society, have come. It doesn’t depict “unions.” It depicts historical events.
While it hurts me on the inside to agree with you, its getting easier over time.
You really have no idea what liberal, socialist, etc actually means…do you?
You mean that over priced union propaganda that progressives spent taxpayer money on.
Why isin’t he in Jail?
How many have you called in? More importantly, was it substantiated?
Take a good look around at them, do some research and background checks.
Then do a little sleuthing, the Intel is Very interesting.
I and my contacts have now found three suspects that deserve further investigation.
(Another new one as a lead since posting these Public Service announcements, and in communications on another.)
I prefer sending in copies of my evidence and documents to Both DHHS and AG via Certified Mail as then they know I am dead serious and will follow-up. It WORKS!
Fraudulently receiving funds/ benefits meant for the needy is a crime and will be stopped.
One by one.
I’m a patient hunter but it helps if others beat the brush.
Seriously? Now speculation has nothing to do with it. Research?, now wouldn’t you have to know secured information, such as SSN’s and benefit amounts? And if you have these types of documents, is there a warrant?
And I certainly hope that you have all of your “certified mailing receipts”, you are going to need them.
You can ask thousands of reporters, more often than not, it’s someone who has another reason to report people for what they “suspect”. More often than not the “reporter” is someone who has an issue with the benefit recipient.
Ok Mr. Hunter, how many of your cases have been investigated? How many of them were taken to court?
I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, what I am saying is that you may be a little OCD, and whenever you see someone use a food card, you automatically suspect. Other than that, you stalk people, which is illegal.
What about those business’s that have not paid back their bail out money’s? Are you investigating them Magnum PI?
I would suggest that the 1-800 numbers and offices above are a form of fraud. Since there is virtually no evidence that widespread fraud even exists, I think it’s a waste of taxpayer money to staff programs designed to stop it.
There USED to be a list of facts that showed welfare fraud is not very common on the DHHS site. In the last few days that information was removed and has been replaced with all of this “report fraud” stuff.
Can’t wait until the GOP legislators get kicked out of Augusta and are replaced by Democrats. Their first order of business should be impeachment of LePage.
Yeah, the DHHS website, the same one that says it is NOT FRAUD for a freeloading unemployed boyfriend to live with mom and eat the food intended for her kids and live in public housing. Yeah, not fraud at all, according to DHHS and the feds. That’s why the teapartiers WON’T go away…
I will attempt to explain why it’s not fraud for a boyfriend to live with a single mother.
First, the ONLY people financially responsible for supporting children are their parents. Boyfriends are NOT. If the boyfriend buys his own food and pays half of the bills it is considered a room mate type of arrangement and they are considered separate households. If the boyfriend is unemployed and eating with the family then he would be included in the household, meaning that a portion of the foodstamps would be for him as well. In this case, any income he has would be counted with the mother’s income in determining the amount of foodstamps the family would get.
Public housing is the same thing…as long as he has been added to the lease then it’s not fraud and no rules are being broken.
That free-loading boyfriend, as you put it, DOES have a responsibility to pay for the child. DHHS actually enforces the court orders to maintain that support. You are directing your anger at the ones who work every day to make sure fathers are held accountable.
Moving in with Mom does not rid one of financial responsibility, in fact it might even demonstrate an ability to pay more. Wherever possible, DHHS uses its resources to collect support to reduce taxpayer exposure to the costs of these programs. This is another example of how the lens of media distorts the real story and how the governor seizes upon that distortion to build support for bad ideas.
When you never look for fraud and never prosecute it when it surfaces for three decades of course you’re not going to have any documented evidence that it exists.
Actually, there isn’t much fraud. The problem is that the people who claim to see it everywhere are just completely uneducated and uninformed about what constitutes fraud. They think a boyfriend living with a single mother is fraud when it’s not. As long as it’s properly reported it’s not fraud. Working odd jobs for cash isn’t fraud either as long as it’s reported. Buying unhealthy food isn’t fraud. Smoking cigarettes or buying a six pack, while poor judgement when you are that hard up you need help, is also not fraud.
Selling or trading foodstamps for cash IS fraud. Not reporting income you receive is fraud. Irregular income will not cause someone to lose assistance. It will just be adjusted each month based on what that income is. So basically, if a person is reporting as required and isn’t selling their foodstamps then it is highly unlikely they are committing fraud. Even the water dumping isn’t fraud. It’s dumb and would qualify as abuse of the program, but it’s not fraud.
You’re right…and I’m aware of what constitutes fraud and what doesn’t. Anytime one misrepresents his or her financial status in order to gain benefits it’s fraud. And those are the people who the State’s going after and prosecuting successfully. Exercise of poor judgement is probably one of the primary reasons why many are ‘forced’ to apply for social benefits in the first place, and that’s not a crime.
Not getting a job when you are capable is fraud. Getting addicted to drugs is fraud and isnt my mess to clean up.
Like to see Mr. Eves take a hike. He benefits from the health care system, because his business is part of it. Nice guy. Should stay home with his family next time around.
You can not ‘tune up’ the mess that is DHHS. It needs major surgery.
How could anyone question the motives of Big Paulie and Mary when it comes to serving the deserving ones of Maine, namely the contributors to the re-do-it-to-the-Mainers Committee working at keeping him in office and off the streets. I find it hard to believe that they are trying to conceal facts just to get their political agenda passed through a time constrained legislature. Say it isn’t so.
For the last several years, problems with the states claim system have prevented regular reporting on what’s driving spending growth in Mainecare. Did you read the article? Can you read?
So the GOP/Tea Party is going to ram through these cuts that will put the disabled and elderly out in the street – before they get reliable numbers – that the utterly incompetent Maine Heritage Policy Center drones that now run the DHHS can’t seem to come up with?
How much are we paying these people that can’t do their job?
and what happens if the independent review concludes the DHHS shortfall is nowhere near the $220 million figure LePage keeps blattin’ ?
These are the people that can’t wait to eliminate 4000 health care jobs in Maine – and the GOP claims they are the “job creators”?
Tea Party “government” is a joke.
Yessah
not The disabled and elderly will not be put out on the street. You are using your typical hyperbole to scared people. I work with both and we have not heard that we are to dump them in the street.
Get use to it, the Tea Party is alive and well in this state. We will take care of the needy, however we will not be bullied by irresponsible state hacks who care only about their sit on a@# jobs and not helping the most needy in the state.
The Tea Party is taking it’s last breath. Wait and see what happens come November. The elderly USED to vote Republican, but due to this effort to do away with help with medication and private nursing home/residential services the elderly are going to be voting the GOP out of government in Maine. This radical right wing nonsense is about to come to a screeching halt.
You hit the nail on the head. My brother has been a life long republican and just told me that he is switching parties. He will not vote republican this fall. The pendulum will swing the other way big time!
Don’t listen to OldWench. I put my money on the fact that she’s a state employee, by the way…
Nope, not a state employee, have never belonged to a union, believe in the death penalty, despise drugs with a passion, don’t think spanking is child abuse, support gun rights…and am actually very conservative on most issues. However, the MOST important issue to me is social justice. I USED to vote for at least half GOP candidates, but this will be the first time I vote straight Democratic. I’ll be doing that for two reasons. First, because I honestly believe that LePage is a complete i d i o t who must be politically neutralized for the sake of the state. Second, to punish and send a firm message to the GOP that if they are going to cowtow and pander to the radical whack jobs they will NEVER get my vote again.
Sorry, OldWench. You gave yourself away with ‘social justice.’ No conservative and if the other claims you made are true that is nice but not indicative of political leanings. Sorry to not have your vote, but seriously doubt if Republicans ever did.
Please continue to stick your head in the sand, it doesn’t matter anymore! Come November you’re in for a rude awakening.
Bring it on…you’ve lost the youth vote and between OWS and the TeaPartiers, the status quo of the republicans and democrats is about to crumble
Ssssure, keep listening to Rush John. LMAO
I’m not “A conservative”…I’m a MODERATE who happens to hold pretty conservative views on most everything EXCEPT Social Justice.
OK…so you are still an immoral person, as you condone theft from others
social justice is definitely not part of any REPUBLICAN platform, nor justice in any form.
LOL…social justice (redistribution of wealth) is NOT a conservative value, as its outright IMMORAL!
LMAO…so what are your plans for the elderly when your unsustainable system of government dependency implodes and there is simply no money left to dole out? Saying that folks who want to develop a susutainable system of government are “radical” is simply narrow-minded.
and will you take care of the theft and greed by the rich and powerful too???
“What happens if the independent review concludes the DHHS shortfall is nowhere near the $220 million figure LePage keeps blattin’ ?” I would predict another tax break for the rich. LePage started his tenure by mistakenly firing everyone that knew how the state departments operated (even if some weren’t properly run) and replacing them with “yes” men and women who don’t have a clue. Now Legislators want answers and the best one they can get is “We believe Lord Paul is right.” He surrounded himself with a bunch of morons so he’d appear to be the smartest. Many of these posts against LePage are written by conservative republicans, and I am one of them, but most of us see that this idiot and his cronies need to be evicted from Augusta at the first opportunity. He’s one of these people that we’ve all met from time to time. He’s so stupid, he doesn’t realize how limited he really is.
Since when are 19- and 20-year olds ‘elderly’?
The new people are having trouble clearing away the obfuscations of the previous people in the positions. Obviously, transparent usual accounting systems were not used, which is why things started coming unraveled as soon as they went under a close scrutiny.
The jobs that will sustain the economy are private-sector jobs, not government jobs.
You’re not paying attention at all…do some reading and find out exactly which populations will be hurt from this before blindly supporting it.
Great point….private sector jobs and obfuscations. What’s the obfuscation that you are referring to?
The obfuscation that I feel is happening is ; lack of leadership. Le Page says “business friendly”, but yet he hasn’t shown anyone what he means. He simply wants to give them breaks, taxes, TIFF’s, get to pick and choose which ones we should be friendly to.
UH, …..No. I think that is up to us, not him.
Okay it’s now pretty clear, Mary Mayhew should be fired immediately!
How ironic it is to have House Speaker Robert Nutting saying anything on this subject. Hey Bob…pay your fines and Maine taxpayers will at least “Get back” $1.3 million you ripped off from this department and never gave back. Just think what the taxpayers would get back if we held 100 more such right wing criminals liable for their outrageous no holds barred thefts!
Don’t worry Paul we’ll let you keep our Halloween candy.
Speaker Nutting has enough problems: he has a six vote majority, his party is starting to feel the heat of extreme executive proposals, one of his minion’s is under investigation by the Attorney Generals office (Representative Burns from Alfred) for criminal conduct as determined by the Ethics Commission, and, all the while…..they are all up for re-election this year!
He has a 6 vote majority,….one is under investigation. He knows that there are 5 more Republican legislators than Democrats that term out this year. Ask him, he’s not responsible for anything, except for running for House Minority Leader.
More like they are up for removal this year…
Just raise the income level requirements and impose manditory drug testing for benefits…..That will take care of the shortfall
and test LePage for alcohol abuse on Friday and Saturday nights.
Breath-o-lize him
yessah
Do you have first hand knowledge about this? If you do you have a citizen responsibility to report it. If not then please shut your big fat lying mouth.
Do you have first hand knowledge that people on MaineCare are abusing drugs?
If not – follow your own advice.
They did (unconstitutional) drug testing on welfare recipients in Florida – 96% were drug-free.
I wonder if the Tea Party or the GOP could do as well if they were tested?
I am a teacher. I have frist hand knowledge. Most o the kids in my special needs class who were not born with a disability, are on drugs and their parents are on drugs and welfare. They all are diagnosed with ADHD etc.
He is over 21. If he wants to have a drink he can. What does this have to do with anything? He isnt on welfare.
This is what happens when you fire an experienced person who KNOWS the job and what they are doing for purely political reasons. I bet the person who was fired would have been able to answer questions and provide solid figures. Another example of LePage being a bumbling fool.
The mess at DHHS (and it IS a mess) existed LONG BEFORE LePage ever entered politics.
That’s no excuse for his actions, or any actions conducted by his Commissioner. Every executive blames the previous administration. How about this: Baldacci had the state take control of the Old Town landfill on behalf of a company that employed 450 people. Le Page did the same thing in Millinocket, at a higher price, and for less jobs……..I suppose that Baldacci’s fault too?
Ya, that’s why the last ‘experienced’ DHHS heads(Concannon and Harvey) had to report that they ‘lost’ millions through accounting problems. Hopefully, the next time you have a colonoscopy they’ll find your head.
At least they knew they lost it and why…and could report the specifics.
Who is this woman trying to look like?..Carly Simon…
The Democrats created this problem and are now obstructionists in fixing the structural gap. I encourage the legislature to pass a majority budget, supporting LePage’s proposals. As a taxpayer, I am sick and tired of the Democrats taking us to the cleaners. Fix the structural gap and fix it now!
Seriously, the democrats?
Immoral Republicans prefer to cut benefits to those most in need in order to cut estate taxes for millionaires and give an unnecessary income tax cut to millionaires. It’s shameful and I suspect you guys will have to explain yourselves someday at the pearly gates.
Stop giving it out to theones able to work and there won’t be a shortfall.Tighten eligility for welfare and do drug test and any positive readings cut the check. SIMPLE LAWMAKERS.
Evidently Governor LePage would agree with your recommendations because he’s proposed eliminating social benefits for 19 and 20 year olds(the real problem is – how do you decide who’s able to work and who’s not). He’s proposed drug testing and a five year lifetime limit on social benefits. But the lawmakers that you and I elected can’t seem to make up their minds how to go about implementing the Governor’s proposals.
This problem has been ongoing for a long time. It’s much more acute now due to the lousy economy. Fixing it is not as simple as breaking your son’s dinner plate when he turns 18 to get him out of your house.
People with minimum wage jobs that don’t provide health insurance cannot afford $800-1000 a month to pay for insurance that is as good as the taxpayer subsidized insurance policy LePage has.
That is why they are called the “working poor”.yessah
Then work harder. It isnt my job to support them.
Curious that an independent body can’t confirm Mayhew’s projections.
Do you think she just made them up?Prediction: Mayhew resigns in disgrace
This guy is a self fulfilling prophesy for how bad government can be…..Ineptitude builds public contempt which makes the job of downsizing more palatable. This is in spite of how well the rank and file do their jobs of serving the public. So many dedicated people get the bad image the chief presents in his public face.
Of course the other option is good governance with accountability. Maybe we give that a try next time around. I can’t believe he has only been in office for 371 days. This is going to be a long four years.
I STILL QUIT PAYING FOR THE METHADONE CLINICS !!! I KNOW OF A COUPLE THAT HAVE FULL TIME JOBS AND ARE GETING MAINECARE AND GOING TO THE CLINIC AND GETTING TRAVEL PAY . THEY HAVE BEEN GOING FOR IO YEARS . THEY ALSO GET FOOD STAMPS AND GET THERE MEDS TO TAKE HOME AND THEN THEY SELL THEM !! TELL ME WHAT THE CLINIC HAS DONE FOR THEM EXCEPT SUPPORT THEM !!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !!!!
Maybe you can give them raises and health insurance through theirs JOBS then they won’t have be on MaineCare.
Also – ever heard of “preventive medicine” and “annual checkups” – that reduce health care costs for EVERYONE?
nope
Really, what happened 50 years ago when there was no healthcare? Cut me a break and start making people responsible for themselves. If they want a better job then they should get one, school is free for the poor.
We had healthcare 50 years ago, but Insurance companies weren’t ripping us off like they do now. Healthcare is something a country as great as the USA should provide to all, not just the rich because that’s what it is coming to in short order….already 50 million without insurance and more than 50 million with high deductible inadequate insurance!
I believe anybody in the clinic for ten years and going strong doesnt sound like the clinic is doing there job !!
________________________________
From: Disqus
To: lbpriest@yahoo.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 7:32 AM
Subject: [bdn] Re: Confirmation of DHHS shortfall remains elusive for Maine lawmakers
Disqus generic email template
munebaght wrote, in response to 0flower0:
Maybe you can give them raises and health insurance through theirs JOBS then they won’t have be on MaineCare.
Also – ever heard of “preventive medicine” and “annual checkups” – that reduce health care costs for EVERYONE?
nope
Link to comment
Bangor has had a methadone clinic for 10 years? And if you think these people are breaking the law/committing fraud then REPORT them.
You can report all you want. Nothing happens.
So our Speaker/Thief of the House Nutting says “fix the structural problems in the DHHS budget without raiding other parts of the state budget or relying on gimmicks”
You’re raiding me! Everytime one of these people goes to the hospital and doesn’t have health insurance to pay for it… how does the hospital recover the money? – by billing those of us with health insurance more. That’s how the money is recovered… So the gimmick is… take it off the state books and let the people who pay their medical bills pay for it. That’s a gimmick. Plain and Simple.
I think that might be Mary Mayhew’s high school yearbook photo. Hey BDN – how about a picture that’s a bit more, up-to-date?
Its either that or one hell of a makeover! When I see this file photo I cannot manage to connect that with the Mary Mayhew that I have seen on the news in the last year. Whats up with that?
Why don’t they start by eliminating the mass mailings of propaganda such as the big white envalopes containing refrigerator magnets and recipes and offering a free tee shirt or tote for answering 3 easy questions. It costs $$ to have these things printed and mailed, and who’s paying for the free totes and tee’s ?? How are these “Healthy Maine” propaganda packages weighing in on the expenditures of DHHS? Stop the wasteful spending. No one reads these anyhow…they grab the refrigerator magnets and place them proudly on their fridge, and toss the rest of the packet out. Or how about making DHHS stop wasteful spending in another area as well….DHHS mails reminders for annual check ups..Doctors appointments. Ummm I hope the patient knows when his/her appointment is and doesn’t really need that kind of reminder. I bet that would save a ton of cash .
I agree, all that crap is not needed. If it saves money get rid of it.
Landslide LePage cooking the books again. He is guessing. Seems to me that he is working on getting a waiver from the feds and is dreaming up statistics to influence the legislature to pass his ideas. Then he can use the passage of his ideas as a lever to get the feds to give him his waiver. He wants to use the waiver to skirt the Affordable Care Act. What is that they always say about a nation of laws not people?
If the legislators would pay back the 23 MILLION they took from the taxpayers and Nutting paid back the 1.3 MILLION and all the others that we don’t know about…………………..there wouldn’t be a problem with taking care of the indigent people that have a right for food and shelter. It would make a more loving environment vs the hatred that that GREED is creating.
….
There should be NO cuts until an independent source can verify what caused the shortfall. Mary Mayhew is incompetent and should have already been sent packing. If infuriates me that 65,000 people (myself included) stand to lose their Mainecare benefits as the result of a clueless bumbling bureaucrat not doing her job. I wonder if Ms. Mayhew would be willing to pay for the prescriptions I will no longer be able to afford. At least I have family to help to some extent- there are a lot of elderly folks who don’t. Shame on you, Governor LePage!
Explain to me why I should be paying for your prescriptions and what right do you have to be so angry when I say, I can’t afford it anymore? Do you feel any gratitude toward the people who are now paying your medical costs? Hopefully, if your family does help you out, you will show them more respect and gratitude than you show your current health care supporters.
You know, I have a family to raise, and we pay our premiums for health insurance and we are not rolling in the dough, baby. But we do it because it is our responsibility to pay our own way if we can manage it. If, someday, we are in a position where we cannot manage, I hope to see a social service network that can help us out. But to preserve services for the future, we need to manage them wisely today.
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I won’t dignify your post with a response….Oooops.
Rude? Please—try honest.
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Don’t have my apron with me at work…
Ooooo look–it’s 12 PM. Must be time for some lunch and Rush Limbaugh!!!
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And all your sweet words and well wishes will get this person NOWHERE. MaineCare has not paid its bills for years. Not only are Maine working citizens taxed to pay for these benefits, but those in the health care field have seen layoffs, paycuts and more due to the state not paying its bills. To me, that “clueless, bumbling bureaucrat” in Augusta is trying to do her job to finally address this elephant in the room that other administrations attempted to ignore or cover with a lacy doily.
Perhaps people who benefit most directly from the work government officials are doing should show a bit more gratitude and stop feeling so high and mighty ENTITLED.
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Like ending same day voter registration was a solution looking for a problem, the optics of the emergency budget shortfall are similar. It is no surprise that Mr LePage wants to make serious cuts to DHHS. Either he has “created” the crisis intentionally or his administration has failed to do their jobs and been able to account for the shortfall. This makes him either conniving or inept, possibly both but at least one or the other.
Continue to watch the manufactured crises unfold, one after another. This is the M.O. of the disaster capitalist. Either use real crisis to dismantle institutions or, when none are available, create one.
Next budget watch for zero based budgeting. That will be an excuse to wipe the slate clean of programs that work well and those that don’t alike. Forced to compete for resources, this will turn every agency of our government against one another as they fight for the last piece of pie.
A manufactured problem? To quote the governor, What planet are you from?
DHHS has failed to pay its MaineCare bills for, I believe I am still accurate here, for DECADES. In 2007, Maine owed hospitals over $300,000,000—that’s right, 300 million dollars. Baldaccci scraped together a bunch of good intentions, raided other budgets, including cutting state workers’ pay, grabbed as much “stimulus” funding as he could from the FEDs…and still owed the hospitals over 300 million dollars when he left office. For MaineCare.
Perhaps the state agencies and the legislature can quibble over the exact amount that this year’s shortfall in MaineCare will be, but one cannot offer any argument opposed to the truth that MaineCare is unsustainable in its current form.
This is just a temporary situation brought on when Bush and the Republicans tanked the economy in 2008. Recovery is slowly on its way and fewer and fewer will need welfare. The answer is to temporarily raise revenues…delay or rescind the millionaires estate tax cut and delay or rescind the unnecessary income tax cut for millionaires. “Crisis” averted.
This is not true. Do a search of the BDN site for “Maine owes hospitals”–particularly articles posted on Sept. 29th, 2010; January 21st, 2011 and January 27th, 2011. Just for a little background reading on the situation in Maine. Pay attention to what hospitals have had to do in order to cover the lack of payment of MaineCare bills from the state.
I am not commenting on what Bush and the Republicans have done. That’s a whole other issue. I am focused on what has been done in the state of Maine over the past decade or so with MaineCare. This is not a new issue. It’s been going on since long before the Great Recession.
When the Office of Fiscal and Program Review says they haven’t been given enough information to fairly evaluate a dollars and cents problem and the DHHS Commissioner responds by saying, “Yes you have,” we have a problem of a different order.
To be clear, we aren’t looking at a philosophical political squabble across the aisles in the State House. This standoff appears to be between the State House and Blaine House.
just more examples of the unfunded programs that the past admin created.Maybe if we got back the 220 million that was given out as goodbye presents we could help them.
Can you see the meeting of Mr LaPage and Ms Mayhew last November — Mary , you have to come up with the number for the budget shortfall — I know it exists because we purposely under budgeted last spring — well boss how about 60 million — no — 100 million ? — hmm no — 220 miliion ? — that sounds good
Not that this is how it went — but if it isn’t somewhat close then Ms Mayhew had a pretty good idea of what the real number was and how it was arrived at — if this is the case then Mr LePage and Ms Mayhew need to share this information with the Appropriations Committee so they can
develope the legislation necessary to deal with the shortfall
Then again if an independent review has yet been able to verify the number maybe it is not a real number.
But we know it is not a real number because Mr LePage has 39 million in a slush fund to cover some of the shortfall.
Mr LePage and Ms Mayhew think we should just pass their agenda — one that assumes because we are the State of Maine we will get a waiver from the feds — can you spell ” class action suit ? ” — then we can have a shortfall on top of a shortfall.
” — MaineCare will run out of money in early April. ” Had we properly budgeted and put the 39 million form the slush fund into the budget would this still be the case ? If you can not provide verifible numders of where we are at how can you project that we will run out of money in early April?
This certainly sounds and smells like political gamemanship.
Got to love those campaign slogans. ” Maine people before politics”
Mayhew is attractive and seem sto have all of her teeth.Obviously a rich outa’statah’….
After reading this it’s immediately apparent Mary’s got a new “Do,” nice change! The problem is it’s hard to believe numbers which come from an administration that has a pre-determined agenda and represents a minority. I think our state government’s financial conditions might have more creditability if financial matters where keep out of the hands of politicians and their appointees.