Why are we being deceived by our elected officials? When I received my Voters’ Pamphlet, I read every pro-and-con argument about Measure 28. In a nutshell, nearly every pro-tax increase argument was based on two factors: “It will only cost the average taxpayer a small amount each month” and the scare tactic of “how devastating and severe the cuts in services will be.”
Why are we not being told the truth? Why are we not being told that the cuts to services and the increases in costs will be implemented whether Measure 28 passes or not? In fact, in regards to the Oregon Health Plan, the cuts in services and the increases in fees have already been made.
Because of recent catastrophic health problems, I have not been able to work and have been forced to rely on the Oregon Health Plan. I received a new medical card on Jan. 9 and am now required to make a co-pay of “two to three dollars for drugs not covered by my plan.” This makes no sense to me. If the medications are not covered, I pay full retail for them. I am now also required to make a co-pay of “three dollars for outpatient services not covered by my plan.”
The mental health portion of my benefits package has also already been eliminated. On Jan. 10, I received another medical card. In addition to the co-pays and cuts in services mentioned above, the dental portion of my benefits package was eliminated. I was informed by OMAP that on Feb. 1, my co-pay for drugs will increase to “two to fifteen dollars for every prescription.”
Are these co-pays illegal? According to an AP article out of Portland, “Pharmacies sue to block drug co-payment,” published in the World on Jan. 9:
“Pharmacies are upset that under Medicaid rules, they cannot require payment of the co-pay. If a patient refuses to pay it, the pharmacist must still fill the prescription without being reimbursed by Medicaid … failure of Health Plan customers to pay the co-pays would cost pharmacies $1.4 million … drive some pharmacies out of business … and deprive patients of care.”
Does this also apply to outpatient services?
If Oregon is anything like California, and I cannot believe it isn’t, priorities must be rearranged. This year California faces a $3.3 billion budget deficit. Fraud in California’s Medi-Cal health care system alone is estimated to cost its taxpayers $2.6 billion a year. This figure doesn’t include waste and the cost of providing benefits to criminals who have broken our laws by entering our country illegally. If state officials spent our tax dollars eliminating fraud and waste and denied benefits to non-citizens, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
It is imperative that we demand honesty and accountability from our government. It’s way past time for our elected officials to accept the responsibilities, both fiscal and otherwise, we citizens must live with every day.
We don’t have to wait for Measure 28 to fail. The cuts in services and the increases in fees have already been made. If Measure 28 passes, where will our increased taxes go?