More Federal Health Care Woes

From the Havre (MT) Daily News: A federal employee said that the closure of the diabetes prevention program at the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation could set back work done by the program. “Temporarily closing the program halts current efforts and activities.,” Carol Strasheim, diabetes consultant with Indian Health Services in Billings, said in an e-mailed response to questions...The Fort Belknap government confirmed last week that its Diabetes Prevention Program was being terminated effective Friday. The federal funding for the program, through an Indian Health Service grant program, expired Sept. 30 and applications for the next grant cycle are not due until this week...
Ok, the federal government runs Indian Health services and I don't think there is any doubt that the IHS is the worst run health care system in the nation- private or government.
The diabetes program was funded by a grant and the grant ran out (call it rationing?) and the applications are not due until this week, the middle of October? Does that make sense.
Oh, and this: Strasheim said the protocol of Indian Health Service is that all questions must be submitted in writing. Her supervisor, Susan Fredericks, forwarded Strasheim’s response to questions from the Havre Daily News Friday afternoon. http://www.havredailynews.com/articles/2009/10/19/local_headlines/state.txt
Apparently the federal government is so secretive or stuck up- you choose, that they won't answer any questions unless the questions are in writing and you have to through layers of bureaucracy.
This is your federal government in action. And this is who you want to make "health care reforms"? Why doesn't the federal government get their act together first before they intrude in the health care debate.
BTW, the Senator for Montana is Max Baucus. No word from him, Wow, he really supports his constituents.