Governors Oppose New Medicaid Rules

[cal04]

Source: NYTimes

Governors of both parties strongly objected on Saturday to a half-dozen new federal Medicaid regulations that they said would shift billions of dollars in costs to the states, forcing them to consider cutbacks in services.

The rules, scheduled to take effect in the next few months, would reduce federal payments for public hospitals, teaching hospitals and services for the disabled, among others.

(snip)
Federal health officials said the new rules were needed to end creative financing techniques that states had used to obtain excessive amounts of federal Medicaid money.

But governors said the Bush administration was unilaterally reshaping Medicaid in ways that would harm some of their most vulnerable citizens. Moreover, they said, the rules are taking effect at a time when the national economic slowdown is cutting into state tax revenues.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/washington/24medicaid.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[badgervan]

1. Where's Congress?

Oh yeah... debating steroids in sports. Republicans: we have no heart, and we're proud of it. The sick and disabled trying to get by on a thousand bucks a month - screw 'em. Gotta make sure that those millionaires in the "health care" industry aren't going without, don't you know.

[area51]

2. Why is it ...

... that no cost is too great when talking about the military and the Iraqnam war, but when it comes to taxpaying citizens in need, aid has to be cut? :mad: