Congress Passes Medical TARP

The Senate and House of Representatives have passed the new Medical TARP bill. The Trans America Railroad People bill saves money because when someone exceeds the set amount of determined healthcare cost limit in a year, he is put on a train that just keeps circling the USA for the balance of the year. This thereby caps the medical expenses for that person.

(from one of our PJ readers - Josh Ravitch)

Medicaid Fraud

Check out this article about Medicaid fraud in the NY Times. No, it isn't about doctors cheating the system (which, unfortunately, does happen). This is about prominent people receiving Medicaid medical benefits.

• a Manhattan painter and mime who owns two waterfront properties in the Hamptons and has performed with the singer Melba Moore.


• a freelance artist who owns two Manhattan apartments valued at more than $1 million apiece.


• a dentist working in the Bronx whose practice actually provides services to Medicaid patients

There were 11 people indicted in NY for scamming Medicaid. The real issue is that "the application for Medicaid is self-authenticating, meaning that applicants do not have to provide verifying documents". Read that sentence again as it is unbelievable.

I hope this will be a lesson for any future healthcare program the government spits out. This thing will cost a whole bunch of money and unless there is some kind of watchdog looking over who deserves what then the wrong people will come out of the woodwork to take advantage.