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Medicaid
There is concern that the President's budget and/or Congress' budget resolution may include proposals to block grant Medicaid or use the budget reconciliation process to cut or restructure it. In his confirmation hearings, Michael Leavitt, the President's nominee to take over the Department of Health and Human Services would not rule out cuts in Medicaid. The Washington Post reported that he, "argued that Medicaid is 'inefficient' and could serve more people with better management and some ingenuity." For information about the threats to Medicaid, go to www.Familiesusa.org, and click on the Medicaid Action Center. On that page you can read the letter to President Bush signed by 775 organizations, including 45 from Pennsylvania, which are concerned about Medicaid reform. Click on PA for a fact sheet about Medicaid in the Commonwealth.
In December, 2004 the National Governors Association (NGA) sent a letter to congressional leaders urging the federal government not to simply shift federal Medicaid costs to states in an effort to lower the national deficit. The governors have identified Medicaid reform as their top priority issue. To view the letter, go to: http://www.nga.org/nga/legislativeUpdate/1,1169,C_LETTER^D_7695,00.html. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has introduced a Community First Resolution which will be considered by the NGA at their Winter Conference in February in Washington, D.C. The Resolution would provide support for federal legislation to end the institutional bias in the long term care system, help to implement the Olmstead decision so no one is forced to live in an institution because of the lack of home and community services and protect against Medicaid reform which would result in block granting or losing any of the current protections.
Information furnished by the Policy
Information Exchange
and funded by the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council.
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