Governors Riled By Lack Of Input In Health Bill; States Request More Federal
Funding For Budget, Medicaid Shortfalls
Topics: Medicaid, Health Costs, States
Mar 16, 2010
Politico: "Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas kicked off a National
Governors Association summit on health care Monday with an ominous word about
the date" and the need to beware the ides of March. "The governors feel like
they've gotten the Brutus treatment, too." Earlier in the process, the White
House "made overtures to governors ... recognizing that approval from the
state leaders was an essential part of getting its message out to voters. But
now, Democrats are focused primarily on getting House votes, and the four
governors who attended Monday's conference ... expressed frustration over
being left out. ... This isn't an easy time to lead a state" (Cogan, 3/16).
The Wall Street Journal: "Strapped states, facing up to $180
billion in budget deficits in the next fiscal year, are going hat in hand to
Washington. California wants $6.9 billion in federal money for the next fiscal
year, and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he'll have to eliminate
state health and welfare programs without it. Illinois, facing a $13 billion
deficit that equals roughly half of the state's operating budget, has what it
dubs a stimulus team and a group in Washington pressing for additional state
aid. Among other things, Illinois is hoping the federal government will keep
paying a higher share of Medicaid costs. ... But in Congress, members are
balking at further subsidies amid an election-year outcry over the U.S. deficit
and federal involvement in the economy. That tension sets up fierce battles as
states work out budgets for the fiscal year beginning July 1" (Radnofsky, 3/16).
The New York Times: Doctors and patients are dropping out
of Medicaid in places around the country such as Flint, Mich. "It has
not taken long for communities like Flint to feel the downstream effects of a
nationwide torrent of state cuts to Medicaid, the government insurance program
for the poor and disabled. With states squeezing payments to providers even as
the economy fuels explosive growth in enrollment, patients are finding it
increasingly difficult to locate doctors and dentists who will accept their
coverage. Inevitably, many defer care or wind up in hospital emergency rooms,
which are required to take anyone in an urgent condition. ... The inadequacy of
Medicaid payments is severe enough that it has become a rare point of agreement
in the health care debate between President Obama and Congressional Republicans"
(Sack, 3/15).
The Gainesville (Florida) Times: Georgia "Gov. Sonny
Perdue's proposal to cut state funds by more than 10 percent for hospitals
serving Medicaid patients could cost Northeast Georgia Health System more than
$5 million, according to a source with the hospital. Furthermore, Deb Bailey,
director of government affairs for the health system, said another proposal by
Perdue requiring nonprofit hospitals to pay sales taxes for purchases would cost
the hospital an additional $3.5 million. The proposals were made Thursday to
deal with a gaping budget shortfall. If approved, they would impact the way
Northeast Georgia Health Systems does business, Bailey said. ... Perdue's
Medicaid proposal adds to about $15.6 million Northeast Georgia Health Systems
lost last year for Medicaid patients, Bailey said. Currently, the system is
repaid about 82 percent of the cost of providing service to those patients, she
said" (Fielding, 3/16).
The (Columbia, S.C.) State: "With dozens of disability
advocates watching from the gallery, the S.C. House voted to add $173.6 million
of federal money to the state budget to restore proposed cuts to health care
services. The 96-6 vote was the first major decision during what is expected to
be a week of floor debate on the House's proposed $5.1 billion state spending
plan. Congress has yet to give final approval to the money that extends a more
generous federal health care match through June 2011, but House lawmakers are
convinced the money will eventually get to S.C." The money would
allow state agencies to continue a number of health-related services
(O'Connor, 3/16).
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