HotAir.com blogger Cassy Fiano criticized President Obama for standing by a provision in the
health care bill that provides funding for states that have suffered natural disasters and
stated, "I just don't see how disaster relief has anything to do with health care." In
fact, the funding is tied to health care because it would fix gaps in federal Medicaid payments
that some states -- such as Louisiana and Hawaii -- have experienced as a result of recent
disasters.
HotAir.com: "I just don't see how disaster relief has anything to do with
health care"
From Fiano's March 17 HotAir.com
post:
This moment, from Bret Baier's interview on Fox News with Obama, might just be one of the biggest
"WTF?!" moments from Obama's presidency yet. Obama is either completely making things up, living
in an alternate reality, or really, really confused.
Actually, my guess is that's it's probably a combination of all three.
OBAMA [video]: I'll give you some exceptions, though. Something that was called a special deal
was for Louisiana. It was said that there were billions of dollars -- millions of dollars going
to Louisiana, this was a special deal. Well, in fact, that provision, which I think should remain
in, said that if a
state has been affected by a natural catastrophe that has created a special health care emergency
in that state, they should get help. Louisiana obviously went through Katrina, and they're still
trying to deal with the enormous challenges that were faced because of that. ... That also --
well, I'm giving you an example of one that I consider important. It also affects Hawaii, which
went through an earthquake. So that's not just a Louisiana provision. That is a provision that
affects every state that is going through a natural catastrophe.
Apparently, there was a devastating earthquake in Hawaii that we all somehow missed.
Oh, wait, no. That's right. There was no earthquake, and Obama is just totally clueless, as
usual. In fact, the last earthquake in Hawaii to cause any deaths at all was in
1975, and two people died.
In any case, why is he using this argument, anyways? He's turned this health care bill into a
one-size-fits-all solution for everything. Not only will it fix our health care, but it will
apparently create jobs and give disaster relief around the country!
Maybe I'm the only person who doesn't get it, but I just don't see how disaster relief has
anything to do with health care. This is just more evidence that Obama is just talking
out of his you-know-where now. He's become this desperate. And you know, I say good. That means
we're getting to him, and now's the time to push even harder.
Health care bill provision fixes Medicaid gap caused by recent natural disasters
Funding would fix FMAP rates for "certain states recovering from a major
disaster." The Senate bill as passed
includes a provision -- often referred to as the "Louisiana Purchase" by conservative media
-- that would adjust the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) rate for "certain states
recovering from a major disaster." The bill requires that it only applies to states "for which,
at any time during the preceding 7 fiscal years, the President has declared a major disaster" and
"determined as a result of such disaster that every county or parish in the State warrant
individual and public assistance or public assistance from the Federal Government."
The Department of Health and Human Services states that
FMAP is "used in determining the amount of Federal matching funds for State expenditures for
assistance payments for certain social services, and State medical and medical insurance
expenditures. The Social Security Act requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to
calculate and publish the FMAPs each year."
Times-Picayune: Temporary post-Katrina spending "spiked" per capita income "long
enough" to skew Medicaid funding formula, causing state Medicaid funding shortfall. The
Times-Picayune
reported on January 22 that "FMAP refers to the percentage of a state's payments under
Medicaid that are covered by the federal government. Louisiana usually gets a higher match
because of how poor the state is, but because of all the recovery and rebuilding money that
poured in after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, state per capita income spiked long enough to throw
the formula out of kilter and threaten to blow a hole [in] the state budget. [Sen. Mary]
Landrieu's fix was, according to state officials, only the beginning of a solution for a huge
Medicaid shortfall the state is facing." The article stated that Landrieu said "attaching the
Medicaid provision to a health-care bill made sense, and there is no obvious and feasible
legislative alternative."
Jindal: "If not corrected in Washington, D.C.," FMAP problem will cost $500 million a
year. Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal's fiscal year 2010-2011
budget proposal says that the "Louisiana state government faces significant, multi-year
budget challenges, compounded by a faulty federal FMAP formula that, if not corrected in
Washington, D.C., will cost the state approximately $500 million a year in Medicaid funding,
impacting services for the poorest in our state, and often those who need care the most." The
proposal also says that "[w]hile there is discussion in Washington about extending the enhanced
federal Medicaid match rate for six months for all states, without a permanent fix to Louisiana's
faulty FMAP calculation, combined with the loss of federal stimulus funding, Louisiana will still
face a projected $1.7 billion shortfall for FY 12."
HotAir post oblivious to 2006 Hawaii earthquake
Hawaii was declared a disaster area following earthquake. During the Fox News
interview cited by HotAir, Obama stated that Hawaii could benefit from the health care bill
provision that helps Louisiana deal with the FMAP problem. The HotAir post responded:
"Apparently, there was a devastating earthquake in Hawaii that we all somehow missed. Oh, wait,
no. That's right. There was no earthquake, and Obama is just totally clueless, as usual." In
fact, a
magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit Hawaii on October 15, 2006, as Media Matters for
America noted. At the time,
President Bush "declared
a major disaster exists in the State of Hawaii and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and
local recovery efforts in the area struck by an earthquake." USA Today also
reported that Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle also issued a disaster declaration for the state,
after reports of damaged buildings, landslides, and power outages.
Times-Picayune: Hawaii might also be eligible for aid under health care
reform. The Times-Picayune
reported on February 23 that the provision "was intended as a one-time, partial fix for a
sharp drop in federal Medicaid money coming to the state because of a temporary surge in per
capita income in Louisiana as recovery dollars flooded into the state in the wake of Katrina and
Rita." The article noted that Hawaii could also be eligible for aid under the Senate health care
reform bill:
In order to qualify, a state would have to face an FMAP decline of a magnitude that would only
include at this time three states: Louisiana, North Dakota and Hawaii. The legislation
also requires the state be one that experienced a major disaster in the past seven years in which
every county or parish in the state was eligible for FEMA public assistance. That would eliminate
North Dakota, leaving only Louisiana and Hawaii, where all four of its counties were eligible for aid after
the 2006 earthquake.
Hawaii officials reportedly pursuing FMAP funding. A March 11
Times-Picayune
article quoted a Hawaii Department of Human Services spokeswoman as saying they are
"optimistic we will find a way to get the FMAP provision," amid some confusion over whether
Hawaii will ultimately qualify for the fix.
Recommandations
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and reject those that you are not interested in
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