the necessity of removing healthcare from the political debate to a matter of life and death that even limited information right wingers will want to guarantee.

It saddens me to see people treated as commodities.

...that the firm that shithead Governor Branstad hired to administer Medicaid in the state of Iowa--has such a horrible reputation that the Mayo Clinic won't work with them.

In effect, the Mayo Clinic is no longer a choice for Iowans on Medicaid. Mayo is a short drive for many Iowans and their doctors are world-renowned. It's no longer a choice though.

Branstad privatized Medicaid in our state. The company to which he handed these processes has a horrible track record. They don't pay/reimburse doctors/clinics on time. They have an extensive public record of not paying.

So Mayo is refusing to participate. Really a blow for Iowans, who have relied on Mayo for excellent care and to cut down on travel time. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is as reputable as Mayo. However it is located in the eastern part of the state; a five (or more) hour drive for many. That also means more travel costs with overnight stays in a hotel. Many on Medicaid won't be able to afford the cost.

This affects real people. Vulnerable people, with health issues.

Branstad selected this notorious company, and I'm guessing that the entire Medicaid program will devolve into an utter failure--with Iowans not getting care and more healthcare companies refusing to do business with them.

The Republican way of wrecking the system.

a pace maker. 95% survival with, 5% survival without. I wonder what its like to write letters like that.

My daughter is disabled, and on Medicare, and receives (received??) some benefits from Medicaid. When this whole cluster**** was started, she did her research into what companies were going to be used, their reputations, and which companies her healthcare providers were going to be signing with. It turned out that not all of her providers were signing with the same company, so one plan would mean she had to change providers, which for her is out of the question.

After all this, and talking with me a lot, she realized that she would be better off with a private supplemental insurance plan. Since she is under 65, she can't get Medicare Supplemental, so it is a straight health policy from Wellmark. The reason she considers herself lucky? I'm the one paying for most of it, since she can't afford it on her own. Consequently, I'm saving the state about $300 a month.

Seeing Braindead on the news, he's so shaky I expect him to resign one of these days and we'll wind up with whatever her name is (the lieutenant gov.) for the rest of his term, and she'll then be the incumbent. He needs to go, and people need to see how badly he has screwed up what used to be a great state!!!

(Thank God for Cyclone Basketball!!!!)

It's been speculated before that he just wanted to be in long enough this time to break the record for the longest serving Governor and would resign sometime after that happened in order to set up one of Iowa's Sarah Palin clones in office and have her run as an incumbent in 18. And the GOP could also then say they had Iowa's first female governor - who no doubt would take her orders from the Koch brothers and the Americans for Prosperity crowd. So it would not surprise me at all if he resigned before his term was up.

like he cares what happens to PEOPLE.
What he cares about is handing tax money to his buddies.