$179Billion in Medicaid cuts in the "Tax Cut" bill

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. I worked in Mental health for many many years.

Medicaid was a key factor in the state budgets for MH service. esp. for Crisis services. Ala. actually had a pretty good Mental Health system for a decade or so.

When the ER has suicidal patients, abused patients, "is he crazy or is he on a drug?" patients, you called the Crisis Counselor who was paid by Medicaid funded Mental Health services. The counselor evaluated the patient and if needed, patient could be
transfered to a 72 hour hold facility, then was seen by a therapist, at the MH clinic, within 2 days.

Half the people I saw had a drug/alcohol problem. We had treatment for that, too.

That service is no longer funded. The 72 hour mandatory hold law is still on the books, there just is no facility funded now.

A republican doctor who knows me via the past Crisis contacts, who ranted and raved against "ObamaCare, Socialism"
( her exact phrase) now complains she has no help when people in crisis clog the ER.

I simply told her "that's what happens when Congress and the states refuse to fund the programs"

Such a damn shame innocent people have to suffer because of this and supposedly educated doctors have no clue how their hospital is funded.