STOP CORRUPTION IN GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTHCARE

The Issue

YES, WE NEED A PUBLIC OPTION OR SINGLE-PAYER, BUT THE CORRUPTION THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS IN GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTHCARE, I.E., MEDICARE AND MEDICAID, AT BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS (OF FLORIDA IN PARTICULAR), MUST BE EXPOSED AND PERPETRATORS (CENTER FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID, HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES, AND FL AGENCY FOR HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION EMPLOYEES, ET AL.) HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

AFTER BEING ON TOTAL & PERMANENT DISABILITY FOR TWO YEARS AND FIVE MONTHS, I AM FINALLY MEDICARE-ELIGIBLE BEGINNING 01/01/2010, WHICH YOU'D THINK WOULD BE A "GOOD THING," BUT THUS FAR, HAS BEEN A BUREAUCRATIC NIGHTMARE FROM HELL! WHILE ON FL MEDICAID, MY PRESCRIPTION CO-PAYS WERE ZERO, BUT ONCE MEDICARE-ELIGIBLE, MEDICAID WILL NO LONGER PAY FOR PRESCRIPTIONS, FORCING LOW-INCOME DISABLED CITIZENS TO PAY PART D CO-PAYS, THOUGH THEIR INCOMES REMAIN UNCHANGED.

AS IF THAT'S NOT BAD ENOUGH, THE DISABLED PATIENT MUST THEN RUN ALL OVER TOWN REQUESTING HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SUBMIT PRIOR AUTHORIZATIONS FOR CERTAIN PRESCRIPTIONS TO THE PART D PROVIDER, AS WELL AS REQUEST NEW PRESCRIPTIONS BE WRITTEN FOR 90-DAY SUPPLIES OF PRESCRIPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH MAIL ORDER.

AND THAT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE GOVERNMENT-RUN ICEBERG. THE FL DEPT. OF CHILDREN & FAMILIES (DCF) NEVER BOTHERED TO INFORM ME THAT IN ORDER FOR PART B PREMIUMS TO BE PAID, I MUST APPLY FOR QMB THROUGH THEIR AGENCY! HUH!? IF THE PART A PREMIUM IS PAID BASED ON THE FACT THAT I'M ON MEDICAID, AND I DIDN'T HAVE TO APPLY SEPARATELY FOR PART A PREMIUMS TO BE PAID, THEN WHY THE HECK SHOULD A LOW-INCOME DISABLED CITIZEN WHO QUALIFIES FOR MEDICAID HAVE TO APPLY SEPARATELY FOR THE PART B PREMIUM TO BE PAID. THEY AUTOMATICALLY INFORMED ME THAT I'M ELIGIBLE FOR EXTRA HELP WHICH PAYS THE PART D PREMIUM, AS LONG AS THE PREMIUM IS BELOW THE "FLORIDA BENCHMARK," SO WHY, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE MILLIONS OF DISABLED CITIZENS ALREADY ON MEDICAID & MEDICARE, DID THEY NEGLECT THIS LITTLE DETAIL? THIS LITTLE DETAIL HAS RESULTED IN THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SUBTRACTING $110.50 FROM TODAY'S MONTHLY SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY DIRECT DEPOSIT, WHEN MY USUAL SSDI DIRECT DEPOSIT ISN'T ENOUGH TO LIVE ON ANYWAY. THIS IS HOW THE GOVERNMENT TREATS THE DISABLED INDIGENT IN THIS COUNTRY, AND IT MATTERS NOT IF THE GOVERNMENT IS REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT--THE CORRUPTION AND INCOMPETENCE IS THE SAME! UNTIL THAT'S CLEANED UP, NO HEALTHCARE PLAN, WHETHER GOVERNMENT OR CORPORATE, WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY.

THE CENTER FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID (CMS) REFUSES TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME VIA E-MAIL, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. AS TO WHY SOCIAL SECURITY, AFTER MY SENDING A PLETHORA OF E-MAILS TO CMS, STILL HAS RECEIVED NO COMMUNICATION FROM CMS WHATSOEVER AS TO WHY, EVEN AFTER FL DCF QUICKLY APPROVED ME FOR QMB, CMS STILL NEGLECTS TO PROVIDE SSA WITH THE QMB APPROVAL;

2. AS TO WHY CMS REFUSES TO LIFT A FINGER TO PROSECUTE THE FL AGENCY FOR HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR REFUSAL TO PROVIDE ME WITH EOBS (EXPLANATIONS OF BENEFITS) FOR MEDICAID CLAIMS THEY HAVE PAID OUT...BECAUSE I REPORTED ASCENSION HEALTH/SACRED HEART HOSPITAL/SACRED HEART MEDICAL GROUP, LANGHORNE CARDIOLOGY CONSULTANTS, AND PENSACOLA SLEEP DISORDERS FOR MEDICAID FRAUD, AND WHAT DID THE LOCAL MEDICAID FRAUD OFFICE DO ABOUT IT? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! WHY? BECAUSE HEALTHCARE CORPORATIONS SUCH AS ASCENSION HEALTH CONTRIBUTE HEAVILY TO POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, WHICH POLITICIANS TRY TO HIDE. IMAGINE THAT! FL ATTORNEY GENERAL AND GOVERNOR-WANNABE BILL MCCOLLUM REFUSES TO PROSECUTE THESE GREEDY HEALTHCARE CORPORATIONS BECAUSE HE'S SO HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE CORRUPTION HIMSELF!

THESE ARE BUT A FEW EXAMPLES OF WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH AS A DIRECT RESULT OF GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION. YOU THINK THE GOVERNMENT AND YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS REALLY CARE ABOUT YOU?! THINK AGAIN. THIS COULD AND MAY ALREADY BE HAPPENING TO YOU OR A FRIEND OR RELATIVE.

AGAIN, CMS REFUSES TO COMMUNICATE, FL ATTY GEN REFUSES TO COMMUNICATE, FL AHCA LAMELY "CLAIMS" TO INVESTIGATE AS TO WHY I'VE NOT RECEIVED EOBS (MOST LIKELY BECAUSE GOV-WANNABE BILL MCCOLLUM IS COVERING UP FOR FL AHCA'S FRAUDULENT MEDICAID PAYMENTS TO THESE GREEDY CORPORATIONS ).

COME ON, AMERICA, DON'T FOOL YOURSELVES. THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL OR MIRACLE CURE FOR THE HEALTHCARE CRISIS. IF GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTHCARE FOR ALL WERE INSTITUTED TOMORROW, THIS WOULD BE HAPPENING TO YOU, AND PROBABLY MUCH WORSE!

AGAIN, YES WE NEED A PUBLIC OPTION OR SINGLE-PAYER, BUT THE CORRUPTION THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS IN GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTHCARE, I.E., MEDICARE AND MEDICAID, AT BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS (OF FLORIDA IN PARTICULAR), MUST BE EXPOSED AND PERPETRATORS (CENTER FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID, HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES, AND FL AGENCY FOR HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION EMPLOYEES, ET AL.) HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

E-MAILS HAVE BEEN SENT THUS FAR, WITH UNSATISFACTORY RESULTS, TO THE FOLLOWING:

PAUL.BARNES@SSA.GOV

Judy.Weaver@cms.hhs.gov (Division of Health Plans Operations/Customer Relations Branch)

Daniel.Schreiner@cms.hhs.gov (THIS MAN IS THE CMS OMBUDSMAN, YET HE HAS NEVER ONCE RESPONDED)

kathleen.sebelius@hhs.gov (WHO ONLY REPLIES WITH ROBORESPONSES)

advocacy@cms.hhs.gov (ONLY ROBORESPONSES)

millerp@elderaffairs.org

help_comments@help.senate.gov (Never Respond)

info@message.whitehouse.gov (Never Respond)

pilkentk@ahca.myflorida.com (FL AHCA Inspector General's Office)