Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : IMPEACH GRAY DAVIS! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (933)	8/23/2003 11:47:00 AM
From: Lazarus_Long	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1641

Of course. If you wish to be condescending, you need not reply; I won't answer your response. Here's the 2003-2004 budget: lao.ca.gov The summary: lao.ca.gov If you want to put Prop 13 up for repeal, I want to see Prop 98 there too. It is the largest single item in the budget. NO ONE has demonstrated any correlation between educational spending and achievement and it is fairly easy to show that, above a minimum level, there is none. This is simply yet another con job by the teachers' unions. This is interesting: As passed by the Legislature, the budget provides about $10.5 billion from the General Fund ($28.7 billion all funds) for local assistance provided under the Medi-Cal Program. This amounts to about a $40 million or less than 1 percent decrease in General Fund support for Medi-Cal local assistance. Governor's Major Budget Reductions Rejected or Modified. The budget plan adopted by the Legislature rejected or significantly modified a number of the Governor's proposals for major reductions in Medi-Cal eligibility, provider rates, and optional services for beneficiaries. For example, proposals to scale back the past expansion of coverage for adults in working poor families and for the aged and disabled were not included in the final spending plan. A proposal to drop selected optional services for beneficiaries, such as acupuncture, was rejected, although dental and hearing aid benefits were reduced but not eliminated through various cost-containment actions. The budget imposes a 5 percent rate reduction primarily for physicians, pharmacies, and managed care plans effective January 1, 2004 that would achieve General Fund savings of about $115 million in 2003-04 and $245 million in 2004-05. In effect, the measure modifies and narrows an administration proposal that originally called for a 15 percent reduction in rates that would also have affected nursing homes. Under the final budget plan, nursing homes will receive some modest rate increases in 2003-04 rather than rate reductions. Tighter Eligibility Procedures. The spending plan also assumes $194 million in General Fund savings on caseload from ensuring that county workers complete redeterminations of Medi-Cal eligibility in a more timely manner. The budget plan also assumes that about $21 million in savings would be achieved in 2003-04 due to the enactment of a semiannual reporting process to verify Medi-Cal eligibility of adult beneficiaries in lieu of an administration proposal to reestablish quarterly status reporting for these beneficiaries. Increased Antifraud Efforts and Cost Containment. The budget plan scaled back an administration proposal to add 315 positions to increase departmental staffing for various expanded antifraud efforts. The revised approach approved 161.5 positions and focused generally on activities with the highest initial savings to the General Fund. The Legislature also agreed to a number of other specific proposals proposed by the administration to slow the growth in the cost of Medi-Cal benefits through changes in the way it purchases drugs and medical supplies. Sounds like some things that ought to go back in before the ship sinks. Judiciary & Criminal Justice Hey, if the Feds want to fight a the Lost Cause, AKA "War On Drugs", let 'em. Let them pay for it and pay for jailing the users and dealers too. Remember all the ads about Prop 54 saying it would prevent collection of racial information for medical purposes? From the Legislative Analyst's statement: # To collect and use information related to medical research subjects and patients. lao.ca.gov