ObamaCare Revealed: The “Good”, the “Bad” and the “Ugly”

ACA Title II, Sec. 2202. Permitting hospitals to make presumptive eligibility determinations for all Medicaid eligible populations. “Ugly” – “Of course you are covered by Medicaid!” This provision gives authority for hospitals to determine the preliminary eligibility of each patient for Medicaid. This opens up the opportunity for hospital admissions staff to presumptively determine that the patient is Medicaid eligible. The more the merrier, after all our children and grandchildren will pick up the tab. This legislative initiative provides an enormous incentive for hospital admissions staff to creatively game the Medicaid eligibility rules of a state agency that historically suffers from chronic under-staffing. Who is going to care if you fudge the rules? Anybody ever heard of the concept of “checks and balances”? Apparently not. No discernible improvement in population health status and no discernible improvement in long term health cost control.

 

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