when there's a whole cabal of Senators on all sides going along with the Basnight Boondoggle. Still, it's pretty damn sad when you get a first hand whiff of the NC Senate in action.
Submitted by MWilburt on Mon, 06/29/2009 - 7:24pm.
From talking about Politics - 6/8/09
For the past month, State Senator Doug Berger has been telling just about anyone who’ll listen that 45% of the patients who get home care services through Medicaid are ineligible.
He’s gotten so worked up over the whole thing he wrote one lady, who disagreed with him, and told her the ‘ineligible’ patients’ children ought to be supporting their families – just like he supports his mother-in-law, adding: “Our family would like would like the luxury of someone helping us cook her meals and help keep our house clean” too.
Anyhow, Senator Berger got so exercised he rolled legislation out of his Senate Committee to cut the Medicaid budget for home health care a whooping 60%.
Then the whole thing started to come apart on him at the seams.
The Association for Home and Hospice Care of North Carolina wrote the Department of Health and Human Services and asked for a copy of the study Berger claims says that 45% of their members’ patients are ineligible for home care services. They got nothing. Zip. Zero. Nothing. Then they threatened to sue and got an eye full – the study popped out of HHS and, lo and behold, it didn’t say what Berger claimed.
Senator Berger had said the study – by a state vender – analyzed a cross section of Medicaid patients. It didn’t. The focus was on paperwork and agencies that were out of compliance with paperwork requirements.
What about the claim 45% of the patients are ineligible? Dead wrong. Because the vendor’s preliminary patient reviews were reversed most of the time through a more in-depth review approved by HHS. HHS discovered ineligible patients weren’t ineligible at all.
For instance, a home care agency in western North Carolina had 10 of its 10 patients ruled ineligible by the contractor. Every one was reversed by HHS. Another agency had 7 of 10 patients ruled ineligible. Again, every one was reversed by HHS. A nurse with a third agency, again in western North Carolina, described how the contractor conducted the study: They “found that 85% of our patients did not qualify. One of these patients was a 90 year old blind man who could not bath, ambulate or toilet himself.” HHS decided every one of that agency’s patients were qualified too.
HHS made public detailed data for one month – January 2008. 70% of patients the contractor said were ineligible a year and a half ago are still receiving care today – with HHS approval. (The remaining patients either died, moved into a nursing home or moved off Medicaid – HHS can’t say which.)
So how did Senator Berger commit such a blooper? Did he just get bad information from HHS Secretary Lanier Cansler, then whip a bill out of his committee that cut 36,000 disabled patients’ home care?
Even worse, consider this: When Berger finishes cutting 36,000 patients home care a lot of them are going to be left with only one choice -- to go into rest homes and nursing homes. Let’s say 60% – the same number Berger cuts – do just that. The cost to the state of caring for a patient in home care is $9000 a year. In a rest home or a nursing home the cost is from $21,000 to $48,000. Do the math. That mistake could cost taxpayers almost a billion dollars a year.
Last week at their caucus, according to one legislator, House Democrats threw open the flood gates to increase taxes between $1-2 billion to balance the budget – but unless someone corrects Senator Berger’s mistake a good part of those taxes are going to pay for ‘Berger’s blooper.’
And from 6/23/09
Some people never seem to learn and Democratic Senator Doug Berger is looking like a case in point.
State Senator Berger, who back in his student days at Chapel Hill signed up for something called the ‘Democratic Socialists of America,’ is now head of the Senate Sub-Committee on Health Care. The other day, after he passed a bill in his committee to cut Medicaid Home Care 60%, a lady wrote criticizing him and Senator Berger just fired a shot back telling her he knew all about home care – because as a lawyer in the James Scott Farrin law firm he’d sued home care agencies.
There’s also a story going around the legislature that when another lady supporting home care disagreed with him, Senator Berger let her have it too, saying, You keep this up and I’ll cut it even more.
This is not what journalists would call objective ‘verification’ of that story but, in fact, last Thursday night when the House-Senate Budget Conference met Senator Berger tried his best to cut home care $77 million – or 85%.
The Committee haggled for a night and part of the next day, one legislator was overheard saying Berger proposed the cut to show the Home Care and Hospice Association – his most vocal critic – the legislature had the power to eliminate their entire program, then the Senators and Representatives went home for the weekend.
Politicians pursuing vendetta’s is seldom a pretty sight.
But, more to the point, what would Senator Berger’s vendetta cost taxpayers?
Thirty-six thousand patients receive Medicaid home care. By law to qualify each has to suffer from a minimum of two disabilities: Difficulties eating, walking, bathing, dressing, toileting or incontinence.
What happens to these patients if Senator Berger cuts their home care?
They have two choices: They can go into a Rest Home or a Nursing Home.
Now, do the math: In home patients provide the roof over their own heads, as well as their own food – and the government provides a nurse or nurse’s aide for 1-3 hours each day. If the same patient moves into a Rest or Nursing Home the government must provide their lodging, food, transportation and care 24 hours a day.
So caring for patients in Rest Homes and Nursing Homes, naturally, cost taxpayers a lot more money than home care – according to the State Department of Medical Assistance (SFY2007 Report) at least five times more.
So if Senator Berger sticks to his guns – and succeeds – his plan could cost taxpayers around $385 million a year.
It’s hard to imagine who, other than a former ‘Democratic Socialist,’ would conclude it makes any kind of sense to drive patients out of a cheaper program and into a more expensive one – but that seems to be Senator Berger’s logic.
The Democrats in the General Assembly, what with their voting to raise taxes and voting to build a deluxe $25 million fishing pier, have handed Republicans plenty of political gifts lately – but Senator Berger has achieved the ‘hat trick.’
Raising taxes is sure to make the Republicans in his district mad.
Cutting elderly patient’s home care is sure to make Democrats mad.
And costing taxpayers $385 million a year is sure to make Independents mad.
I guess about the only people in Senator Berger’s district who aren’t mad must be the nursing home operators – who’ve got to be shaking their heads unable to believe their good luck.
Submitted by gregflynn on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 7:35am.
While the article may be entirely correct, Carter Wrenn has not been entirely transparent about the fact that he is a registered lobbyist for the Association of Home & Hospice Care of NC
Submitted by MWilburt on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 12:01pm.
Carter Wrenn isn't the issue here. He isn't an elected public official with the responsibility to represent the interests of the people of four NC counties.
Liking Carter Wrenn, or his affiliation with an organization shouldn't cloud the issue of a state senator who is going off half-cocked on some ego-driven quest to prove he is a big shot.
Ask the county commissioners in Warren, Franklin, Vance and Granville. Doug Berger's bullying and threatening are well known. Ask some of the citizens who have dared to question his votes or his stance on issues. He is a man of small stature and an enormous ego.
This isn't new from Doug Berger, it's just the latest.
Submitted by MWilburt on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 11:57am.
You are right, I was the Warren County GOP chairman, and first district GOP chairman and vice-chairman. I don't hide from that, nor do I hide behind a screen name.
That's why I suggested to anyone interested that they speak with county commissioners, county managers and mayors in the four counties. That is a group of overwhelming Democrat membership..... not Republican.
Carter Wrenn's statements are now being validated by DHHS who cannot substantiate ANY of Berger's claims. Berger sits on the senate DHHS committee. When confronted, Berger simply pointed to a "review". That "review" pointed out that Berger's claims could not be confirmed.
Doug Berger's wild flailing at windmills has been a longstanding joke on Jones Street, mostly among his own Democrat colleagues; some of whom will admit to their own excessive eye-rolling every time Doug Berger rises to speak on the senate floor. He's an embarrassment.
And by the way... the NCGOP did not contribute one dime to defeat Doug Berger other than to pay for his opponent's filing fee, which is a typical party courtesy.
Submitted by LiberalNC on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 1:43am.
I'm posting this a 2nd time since I think a lot of people have missed this. A local libertarian will be running for Kissell's 8th District Congressional seat.
I'm not sure if this helps Kissell or not, but I guess it might take away some republican votes.
Submitted by MWilburt on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 11:58am.
Carter Wrenn isn't the issue here. He isn't an elected public official with the responsibility to represent the interests of the people of four NC counties.
Liking Carter Wrenn, or his affiliation with an organization shouldn't cloud the issue of a state senator who is going off half-cocked on some ego-driven quest to prove he is a big shot.
Ask the county commissioners in Warren, Franklin, Vance and Granville. Doug Berger's bullying and threatening are well known. Ask some of the citizens who have dared to question his votes or his stance on issues. He is a man of small stature and an enormous ego.
This isn't new from Doug Berger, it's just the latest.
I'm not sure why this video focused on Berger
when there's a whole cabal of Senators on all sides going along with the Basnight Boondoggle. Still, it's pretty damn sad when you get a first hand whiff of the NC Senate in action.
Why Doug Berger was targeted
From talking about Politics - 6/8/09
For the past month, State Senator Doug Berger has been telling just about anyone who’ll listen that 45% of the patients who get home care services through Medicaid are ineligible.
He’s gotten so worked up over the whole thing he wrote one lady, who disagreed with him, and told her the ‘ineligible’ patients’ children ought to be supporting their families – just like he supports his mother-in-law, adding: “Our family would like would like the luxury of someone helping us cook her meals and help keep our house clean” too.
Anyhow, Senator Berger got so exercised he rolled legislation out of his Senate Committee to cut the Medicaid budget for home health care a whooping 60%.
Then the whole thing started to come apart on him at the seams.
The Association for Home and Hospice Care of North Carolina wrote the Department of Health and Human Services and asked for a copy of the study Berger claims says that 45% of their members’ patients are ineligible for home care services. They got nothing. Zip. Zero. Nothing. Then they threatened to sue and got an eye full – the study popped out of HHS and, lo and behold, it didn’t say what Berger claimed.
Senator Berger had said the study – by a state vender – analyzed a cross section of Medicaid patients. It didn’t. The focus was on paperwork and agencies that were out of compliance with paperwork requirements.
What about the claim 45% of the patients are ineligible? Dead wrong. Because the vendor’s preliminary patient reviews were reversed most of the time through a more in-depth review approved by HHS. HHS discovered ineligible patients weren’t ineligible at all.
For instance, a home care agency in western North Carolina had 10 of its 10 patients ruled ineligible by the contractor. Every one was reversed by HHS. Another agency had 7 of 10 patients ruled ineligible. Again, every one was reversed by HHS. A nurse with a third agency, again in western North Carolina, described how the contractor conducted the study: They “found that 85% of our patients did not qualify. One of these patients was a 90 year old blind man who could not bath, ambulate or toilet himself.” HHS decided every one of that agency’s patients were qualified too.
HHS made public detailed data for one month – January 2008. 70% of patients the contractor said were ineligible a year and a half ago are still receiving care today – with HHS approval. (The remaining patients either died, moved into a nursing home or moved off Medicaid – HHS can’t say which.)
So how did Senator Berger commit such a blooper? Did he just get bad information from HHS Secretary Lanier Cansler, then whip a bill out of his committee that cut 36,000 disabled patients’ home care?
Even worse, consider this: When Berger finishes cutting 36,000 patients home care a lot of them are going to be left with only one choice -- to go into rest homes and nursing homes. Let’s say 60% – the same number Berger cuts – do just that. The cost to the state of caring for a patient in home care is $9000 a year. In a rest home or a nursing home the cost is from $21,000 to $48,000. Do the math. That mistake could cost taxpayers almost a billion dollars a year.
Last week at their caucus, according to one legislator, House Democrats threw open the flood gates to increase taxes between $1-2 billion to balance the budget – but unless someone corrects Senator Berger’s mistake a good part of those taxes are going to pay for ‘Berger’s blooper.’
And from 6/23/09
Some people never seem to learn and Democratic Senator Doug Berger is looking like a case in point.
State Senator Berger, who back in his student days at Chapel Hill signed up for something called the ‘Democratic Socialists of America,’ is now head of the Senate Sub-Committee on Health Care. The other day, after he passed a bill in his committee to cut Medicaid Home Care 60%, a lady wrote criticizing him and Senator Berger just fired a shot back telling her he knew all about home care – because as a lawyer in the James Scott Farrin law firm he’d sued home care agencies.
There’s also a story going around the legislature that when another lady supporting home care disagreed with him, Senator Berger let her have it too, saying, You keep this up and I’ll cut it even more.
This is not what journalists would call objective ‘verification’ of that story but, in fact, last Thursday night when the House-Senate Budget Conference met Senator Berger tried his best to cut home care $77 million – or 85%.
The Committee haggled for a night and part of the next day, one legislator was overheard saying Berger proposed the cut to show the Home Care and Hospice Association – his most vocal critic – the legislature had the power to eliminate their entire program, then the Senators and Representatives went home for the weekend.
Politicians pursuing vendetta’s is seldom a pretty sight.
But, more to the point, what would Senator Berger’s vendetta cost taxpayers?
Thirty-six thousand patients receive Medicaid home care. By law to qualify each has to suffer from a minimum of two disabilities: Difficulties eating, walking, bathing, dressing, toileting or incontinence.
What happens to these patients if Senator Berger cuts their home care?
They have two choices: They can go into a Rest Home or a Nursing Home.
Now, do the math: In home patients provide the roof over their own heads, as well as their own food – and the government provides a nurse or nurse’s aide for 1-3 hours each day. If the same patient moves into a Rest or Nursing Home the government must provide their lodging, food, transportation and care 24 hours a day.
So caring for patients in Rest Homes and Nursing Homes, naturally, cost taxpayers a lot more money than home care – according to the State Department of Medical Assistance (SFY2007 Report) at least five times more.
So if Senator Berger sticks to his guns – and succeeds – his plan could cost taxpayers around $385 million a year.
It’s hard to imagine who, other than a former ‘Democratic Socialist,’ would conclude it makes any kind of sense to drive patients out of a cheaper program and into a more expensive one – but that seems to be Senator Berger’s logic.
The Democrats in the General Assembly, what with their voting to raise taxes and voting to build a deluxe $25 million fishing pier, have handed Republicans plenty of political gifts lately – but Senator Berger has achieved the ‘hat trick.’
Raising taxes is sure to make the Republicans in his district mad.
Cutting elderly patient’s home care is sure to make Democrats mad.
And costing taxpayers $385 million a year is sure to make Independents mad.
I guess about the only people in Senator Berger’s district who aren’t mad must be the nursing home operators – who’ve got to be shaking their heads unable to believe their good luck.
and from -
Mike Wilburt
Hey, thanks for that
I try to steer clear of Talking About Politics, but they do know the inside ropes. I appreciate the info. Thank you.
Methinks Senator Doug
is prone to go off on a tangent occasionally. Which is a nice way of saying, "That boy ain't right!"
:)
Wrenn is industry lobbyist
While the article may be entirely correct, Carter Wrenn has not been entirely transparent about the fact that he is a registered lobbyist for the Association of Home & Hospice Care of NC
"Entirely"
Thanks, Greg. Talking About Politics gives me the creeps and this is just one more reason why.
Carter Wrenn's lobbyist expense forms
Do you think Carter Wrenn claims the web site Talking About Politics as part of his lobbying expenses?
His (so far) three part series pressuring Doug Berger seems to qualify.
Wonder what Gary Pearce thinks about it?
Have any of the press corps asked?
Mark Johnson? No.
Rob Christensen? No.
They've got a direct link from Under the Dome.
Who will step up?
Not holding my breath.
Missing the point, or avoiding the point?
Carter Wrenn isn't the issue here. He isn't an elected public official with the responsibility to represent the interests of the people of four NC counties.
Liking Carter Wrenn, or his affiliation with an organization shouldn't cloud the issue of a state senator who is going off half-cocked on some ego-driven quest to prove he is a big shot.
Ask the county commissioners in Warren, Franklin, Vance and Granville. Doug Berger's bullying and threatening are well known. Ask some of the citizens who have dared to question his votes or his stance on issues. He is a man of small stature and an enormous ego.
This isn't new from Doug Berger, it's just the latest.
Mike Wilburt
A lobbyist/political consultant is going after one person
Yes. That is a story.
The NC GOP has long targeted D. Berger's seat.
Wrenn is dancing along (over?) a legal and ethical line as a paid lobbyist engaging in these acts.
Why target Berger and not Rand or another Senator? They want the seat - plain and simple.
No argument about some of the other parts of your post, but then again, they apply to Carter too.
Clouds
That you might be a former GOP county chair shouldn't cloud the issue either.
Again, that's not the point
You are right, I was the Warren County GOP chairman, and first district GOP chairman and vice-chairman. I don't hide from that, nor do I hide behind a screen name.
That's why I suggested to anyone interested that they speak with county commissioners, county managers and mayors in the four counties. That is a group of overwhelming Democrat membership..... not Republican.
Carter Wrenn's statements are now being validated by DHHS who cannot substantiate ANY of Berger's claims. Berger sits on the senate DHHS committee. When confronted, Berger simply pointed to a "review". That "review" pointed out that Berger's claims could not be confirmed.
Doug Berger's wild flailing at windmills has been a longstanding joke on Jones Street, mostly among his own Democrat colleagues; some of whom will admit to their own excessive eye-rolling every time Doug Berger rises to speak on the senate floor. He's an embarrassment.
And by the way... the NCGOP did not contribute one dime to defeat Doug Berger other than to pay for his opponent's filing fee, which is a typical party courtesy.
Mike Wilburt
Mary Easley to challenge dismissal
Poor dear, can't get a break.
Opponent for Larry Kissell in 2010
I'm posting this a 2nd time since I think a lot of people have missed this.
A local libertarian will be running for Kissell's 8th District Congressional seat.
I'm not sure if this helps Kissell or not, but I guess it might take away some republican votes.
Want to get really depressed?
Look who's bought the US Senate finance committee.
Hat tip to Chris at NC Policy Watch.
Missing the point, or avoiding the point?
Carter Wrenn isn't the issue here. He isn't an elected public official with the responsibility to represent the interests of the people of four NC counties.
Liking Carter Wrenn, or his affiliation with an organization shouldn't cloud the issue of a state senator who is going off half-cocked on some ego-driven quest to prove he is a big shot.
Ask the county commissioners in Warren, Franklin, Vance and Granville. Doug Berger's bullying and threatening are well known. Ask some of the citizens who have dared to question his votes or his stance on issues. He is a man of small stature and an enormous ego.
This isn't new from Doug Berger, it's just the latest.
Mike Wilburt
There are actually two points
One is the half-cocked Senator's egregious behavior. The other is the lack of transparency by a registered lobbyists.
Both are reason enough for concern.
It's possible to walk and chew gum at the same time, methinks.