Category healthcare

Mar 10 2016

Governor’s bill strengthens welfare work requirement and reduces liability of Maine taxpayers

03/10/2016 02:25 PM EST
**Augusta** – Governor Paul R. LePage, for the third time, will introduce legislation to prioritize employment over welfare entitlement by aligning Maine’s welfare programs with federal law. From 2007 through 2013, Maine’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) failed to meet the federal work participation rates causing the state to face nearly $29 million in federal fines. Members of the Legislature have not only ignored the issue, they have protected the very exemptions in Maine law that have discouraged employment and this Administration’s goals of helping people move from poverty to prosperity.

“The Legislature once again has the chance to correct a situation that is detrimental to both the people on the program and the Maine taxpayers. It is time to hold accountable those who refuse to work because of baseless excuses,” said Governor Paul LePage. “We must restore taxpayers’ faith in the integrity of the system and ensure it is helping those who truly need it in a way that supports them becoming self-sufficient. More importantly, we could fix the problem that led to the $29 million in fines.”

“This legislation and the reforms proposed are critical to further advancing our efforts to incentivize work in the best interests of those in need of temporary assistance, rather than the long-held views by democrats that these individuals are incapable of helping themselves and therefore should be protected from the employment requirements that are core to the federal law.,” said DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew. “Twice democrats in the legislature have denied this Administration’s attempts to correct the issue. The people we are trying to help get back to work and the $29 million in looming federal penalties can no longer be ignored. We must align our program to the federal guidelines and stop allowing people to opt-out of their required work so easily.”

LD1631 will use a two-prong approach to address the issue. First, it will eliminate the requirement for blanket “good cause” exemptions for TANF recipients not complying with the work requirements. The Department will still have the ability to grant good cause in certain circumstances that truly prevent the recipient from completing work requirements, such as in cases involving victims of domestic violence. In addition, the Department will have more flexibility to impose a sanction more quickly in cases where it is appropriate to do so. Under the current process, administrative hurdles delay sanctions and allow noncompliant recipients to receive TANF benefits for additional months. Not only does this produce a barrier to independence, it also contributes to the state not meeting its work participation rate. If a TANF recipient is not working, it counts against the State’s rate because Maine’s “good cause exemptions” are much more broad than they should be.

Secondly, the legislation will create a fund to pay fines imposed on the State by the Federal Government due to Maine’s failure to comply with Federal ASPIRE-TANF program requirements.

In August, the Department received a letter from the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) informing the state that it would need to pay the first penalty of the $29 million currently assessed. The 2007 penalty amount totaled $1.16 million and will need to be paid with state funds. The letter demonstrates the real financial liability associated with past failures to make sure recipients were working. It’s a mistake that Maine cannot continue to repeat.
Mar 3 2016

Poliquin Sends Letter to Entire Republican Conference, Suggests 14 Reforms to Improve Health Care System

Poliquin Sends Letter to Entire Republican Conference, Suggests 14 Reforms to Improve Health Care System

Congressman Poliquin highlights needed health care improvements as GOP Task Force begins its work

 

WASHINGTON – This week, Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, delivered a letter to the entire Republican Conference highlighting important reforms to the Affordable Care Act, known as ObamaCare.

 

Poliquin attached his letter from May 2015 to the Chairmen of the House Committees on Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, which outlines 14 suggested reforms to the health care law.

 

Poliquin delivered his reforms to the Republican Conference in light of the newly created Task Force on Health Care Reform’s launch last week.

 

In his letter to his colleagues, Congressman Poliquin writes:

 

“I strongly advocate for these changes based on many conversations with Maine residents and small business owners, who have described their experiences with the job-killing mandates and smothering costs of a government-run health insurance market.

 

“As our Conference engages in thoughtful debate on a replacement for ObamaCare, I ask that we seize this opportunity to institute common sense and free market health care policy for American Families.”

 

 

In May 2015, Congressman Poliquin sent a letter to then-Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Chairmen Fred Upton (R-MI) and John Kline (R-MN) expressing his concerns with ObamaCare and offering 14 free-market solutions to the President’s health care law.  Congressman Poliquin’s  reforms include:

  • Require hospitals and doctors to provide patients with the estimated costs of health care services and procedures so they can shop for the best care at the lowest price. This will reduce monthly health insurance premiums by driving down the underlying cost of health care.
  • Allow insurance companies to share savings with patients when services and procedures of comparable quality are purchased outside of the health care plan’s network at below average costs.
  • Allow individuals, families, and businesses to shop across state lines for the health insurance plans that fit their needs and pocketbooks.
  • Remove the mandates for unnecessary and expensive health care services and procedures to be covered by all health insurance plans.
  • Allow affordable high-deductible and low- premium health care policies to be offered by insurance companies.
  • Allow small businesses and other organizations to band together while negotiating the purchase of the health insurance plans that best meets their needs at costs they can afford.
  • Allow insurance companies to charge much less for health care plans sold to younger individuals and those who make healthy lifestyle choices.
  • Require insurance companies to provide coverage to individuals with pre-existing health conditions.
  • Require health insurance plans to be portable when workers change jobs.
  • Allow states to establish reinsurance pools that provide affordable health insurance to those who need high levels of health care services.
  • Allow health insurance policies to be purchased with pre-tax dollars.
  • Expand the use of tax-free health saving accounts by allowing the funds to pay for monthly premiums as well as out-of-pocket expenses.
  • Allow families to buy primary health care services directly from their doctors of choice, and then purchase inexpensive high-deductible policies to insure against catastrophic illness.
  • Do not allow the IRS to fine or penalize individuals who choose not to purchase health insurance.

 

This year, Speaker Ryan announced the creation of six committee-led task forces within the Republican Conference to focus on and develop an agenda for major priorities for Congress.

 

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Click HERE to see a PDF version of Congressman Poliquin’s letter to the Republican Conference.

Click HERE to see a PDF version of Congressman Poliquin’s May 2015 letter to Chairmen Ryan, Kline and Upton.

Feb 25 2016

Of Beliefs, Convictions, and Gronk’s Party Boat

 

Much has been made this election season of the amount of Christians that are voting for Donald Trump. To help quantify the consternation, many have floated ideas to the why and how of the disconnect between the professed beliefs of Christians and the history of Donald Trump varying from the issues of the day outweigh personal beliefs to Trump is the second coming of Cyrus the Great…wow, on that last one. I’m leaning more towards the less apocalyptic explanation with a much simpler and fundamental twist.

 

It boils down to beliefs and convictions. Just as many who call themselves conservatives, tea partiers, or libertarians have shown a complete lack of conviction on their professed beliefs in the constitution to vote for Trump, so have Christians been exposed for their lack of conviction concerning their Biblical beliefs. Simply put, times of desperation show the courage of your convictions. Many Christians of today simply don’t believe the Bible.

 

“Now hold on,” some of you might say, “haven’t you ever held your nose to vote for someone?” Yes, I’m a conservative Republican in the State of Maine. I have permanent scar tissue in my nose from holding my nose so much. Still, never in my life have I had to deal with a candidate in my party that violates every belief system that I have on every single level, which is compounded by the fact that the man is a pathological liar.

 

Those of you that have followed my column/blog may remember that one of the mantras I preach is to never believe what a candidate says during a campaign. Look at what they have done and said outside of the election year, in their life history. So now we have this man, who has crafted a whole new persona for this election, which continues to morph hither and yon, whither the winds blow in his best interest, and I am supposed to turn a blind eye, soul, and intellect to the warning billboards littered all along the road of destruction Donald Trump has paved?

 

I think not. Truly, Donald Trump has become the Republican Barack Obama. Trump’s followers were interviewed in the latest caucus in Nevada. The overwhelming reason they gave for voting for the man was change. Where have we heard that before? The billionaire refuses to give details on his policy but is big on grand promises with no substance. Where have we heard that before?

 

All those that oppose him, he mocks, humiliates, and demeans. Saul Alinsky? Where have we heard that before? The only difference between Obama and Trump is that, where as Obama is willing to trample the Constitution to achieve his goals, Trump will crush and pulverize the Constitution to achieve his. Imagine the day, and it will come if Trump is elected, that we would prefer Obama.

 

He believes single-payer healthcare works, is for universal healthcare, has a history of supporting gun control, supports raising taxes, establishing mandates, pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, supports Eminent Domain and has a rabid following that defends his questionable past. No, I’m not talking about Barack Obama. This is Donald Trump. They’re both big fans of Hillary Clinton, which could explain why Trump will be taking the stand on trial for fraud. My goodness, we could have two Presidential candidates splitting time between the campaign trail and standing trial for felony charges.

 

And for Christians, the man opened the first strip joint casino, brags openly about sleeping with other men’s wives, publicly joked that he’d like to date his daughter because of her beautiful body, his latest wife,who would be First Lady, poses sans clothing in various racy glossies, and has used questionable business practices to bilk people out of their personal wealth. He claims to read the Bible every day and we believe him? What Bible? The Hugh Hefner version?

 

It is increasingly clear to me that people cannot believe the things they say they believe and support this man. It’s more a desire to follow the crowd like kids hopping on the Gronk Party boat to be part of the “in group”. Once again, it’s not about truth. It’s about hope and change!

Update: New information has surfaced that shows Trump preferred to use foreign workers rather than pay American workers to build his Florida hotels and Trump Towers.

Update: David Duke, former KKK Grand Wizard, has come out to publicly support Trump.

 

 

Feb 17 2016

Brunswick Psychiatrist Placed on Probation

02/17/2016 12:46 PM EST

 

AUGUSTA, ME – On February 17, 2016 the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine entered into a Consent Agreement with Whitney Houghton, M.D. This disciplinary action is based on Dr. Houghton’s record keeping and prescribing practices. Dr. Houghton will be on probation for one year during which time she must transition to and maintain typewritten records that meet psychiatric standards, successfully complete a recordkeeping/charting course, and provide records for Board review. Dr. Houghton practices in Brunswick.

On April 1, 2014 the Board received a complaint from the husband of a patient alleging his wife had a long history of addiction and that Dr. Houghton continued to prescribe the medications. During the investigation the Board had the records reviewed by an independent outside expert. The reviewer found that the records did not meet the standard of care and noted concerns with specific medications prescribed. In October 2015 Dr. Houghton completed a three day psychopharmacology course at Massachusetts General Psychiatry Academy.

All Board disciplinary actions are reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank and the Federation of State Medical Boards Action Data Bank. These reports are regularly reviewed by every state licensing board in the country.

The Board is made up of 6 physicians, 3 public members, and a physician assistant appointed by the Governor. Disciplinary actions taken by the Board are available to the public either by telephone at (207) 287-3601, or on the Board’s website at www.maine.gov/md.