Smokescreens And Mirrors

Smokescreens & Mirrors

The Politics of Medicaid

In 1965, the United States government enacted legislation to provide low-income individuals with quality health care and related services. Initially viewed as the friendless stepchild of Medicare, Medicaid has grown exponentially since its inception, becoming a formidable force of its own. Funded jointly by the national government and each of the fifty states, the program is now the fourth most expensive item in the federal budget and the second largest category of spending for almost every state. Now, under the new, historic health care reform legislation, Medicaid is scheduled to include sixteen million more people. Laura Katz Olson, an expert on health, aging, and long-term care policy, unravels the multifaceted and perplexing puzzle of Medicaid with respect to those who invest in and benefit from the program. Assessing the social, political, and economic dynamics that have shaped Medicaid for almost half a century, she helps readers of all backgrounds understand the entrenched and powerful interests woven into the system that have been instrumental in swelling costs and holding elected officials hostage. Addressing such fundamental questions as whether patients receive good care and whether Medicaid meets the needs of the low-income population it is supposed to serve, Olson evaluates the extent to which the program is an appropriate foundation for health care reform.

Second World

Lured from his birthday celebrations by a Marilyn Monroe avatar, the US president finds himself abducted into cyberspace by a mysterious presence called ‘The Voice’. With only twenty-four hours before it will become impossible to return his consciousness to his body, the secret services are thrown into panic. The one called in to solve the mystery of his disappearance is Conor Smith, a disillusioned GameMaster, who enlists the help of Andi and Tebor, two young people who are permanently ‘missing in the Web’. Soon they are investigating every corner of the overcrowded area of WebWorld known as the Brick. Meanwhile a couple of mysterious murders escalates the tension, both in VR and Reality, and paranoia reigns as the hero gradually tracks down the mysterious forces that always seem a couple of steps ahead.