Friday, November 11, 2005

OnlineAthens.com | Opinion | Heard's remarks on poverty fight were misguided 11/11/05

The poverty rates of working-age people (ages 21-64) with disabilities in the United States, using data from the 2003 and 2004 American Community Surveys (ACS) can be found at www.DisabilityStatistics.org and are disturbing. The poverty rate for working-age people with disabilities increased from 23.3 percent in 2003 to 24.1 percent in 2004, in the US. While the poverty rate of working-age people without disabilities increased from 8.9 percent in 2003 to 9.1 percent in 2004, in the US.

Mayor Heidi Davison put Heard on the defensive, asking whether state legislators are willing to invest public money in education, transportation and economic development as a means of addressing issues with a direct relationship to poverty, both in Athens-Clarke County and around the state. As the mayor's remarks suggested, the state should be playing a major role in educating people for effective entry into the workforce or higher education, providing public transit to ensure that those who can't afford personal transportation have a way to get to work, and in bringing jobs into the state.
OnlineAthens.com Opinion Heard's remarks on poverty fight were misguided 11/11/05

Roberts Court Hears Its First Case in Federalism Debate - New York Times

The case involves a Georgia inmate, Tony Goodman, a paraplegic who has been in prison since 1995, when he was convicted of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon and intent to distribute cocaine...The federal district court and the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, both in Atlanta, dismissed it, saying the state was immune under the 11th Amendment from a suit for damages under the disabilities law. The federal government entered the case at the appeals court stage to defend the constitutionality of the statute...Gregory A. Castanias, a Washington lawyer arguing for Georgia, said the inmate's claims in this case went well beyond constitutional requirements. Several justices then suggested that the law might be interpreted to apply only to constitutional violations. Justice Scalia asked, "To the extent that it includes constitutional violations, why isn't that lawsuit perfectly O.K.?" Coming from Justice Scalia, a strong ally of the states in this line of cases, the question was a surprise, and Mr. Castanias was taken aback. He asked for a moment to think of an answer. Then he said it would "not be congruent with the Constitution" for Congress to place disabled inmates in a privileged position to "assert rights that apply to all."

Privileged position?

Roberts Court Hears Its First Case in Federalism Debate - New York Times

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Bill brings fiscal sanity a little closer | ajc.com

I found this sentence interesting...

Eliminate gimmicks, such as transferring or hiding assets, that middle-class families use to qualify for Medicaid long-term care.


Bill brings fiscal sanity a little closer ajc.com

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Medicaid reforms could hurt poor | ajc.com

This piece does a good job at laying out some of the issues of Medicaid reform for Georgia.

The majority of Georgia Medicaid families have incomes below the poverty level ($16,090 for a family of three). Additional cost-sharing requirements for low-income families would further constrain their efforts to manage their already-limited financial resources. This could force families to choose between obtaining health care for their children or food, clothing, utilities and other necessities.

The first principle of any Medicaid reform should be to "do no harm" to the health care system. Pregnant women who drop Medicaid coverage due to the implementation of premiums will still give birth. Children whose families cannot afford co-payments, resulting in unfilled medications and missed doctor visits, will still get sick. Instead of receiving care efficiently and cheaply through Medicaid, they will receive care inefficiently and expensively in hospital emergency rooms and have more serious health problems when they do receive care.


Medicaid reforms could hurt poor ajc.com

Health agency commissioner takes job at UGA | ajc.com

It is telling that this happened quickly and that the replacement is from Florida. Jeb Bush recently passed his own Medicaid reform. Is this a sign for Georgia?

The commissioner of the state's main health agency is resigning to take a position at the University of Georgia, agency board members said Thursday.

The formal announcement of Tim Burgess' departure is expected today. Burgess will be replaced Dec. 1 by a former health official from Florida, Department of Community Health board members Christopher Stroud and Ann Parker said.


Health agency commissioner takes job at UGA ajc.com

A call to make good on 'promise deferred' | ajc.com

The Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities hosted a VIP tour of disability issues. Here is a nice piece covering the issues of the event.

The Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities had chosen the King Center
to make a point. It is just one of many landmarks in this city "too busy to
hate" tied to groundbreaking moments in the struggle for civil rights. But in
the march to freedom, the council wanted us to know, America's largest minority
group — people with disabilities — had been overlooked, in housing, in
classrooms, in the job market.

A call to make good on 'promise deferred' ajc.com