Thursday, February 10, 2005

FY 2006 Budget Hurts Mental Illness Programs Alert at the NAMI web site - "As a federal entitlement, Medicaid is not subject to the same annual appropriation by Congress that discretionary programs are. Nonetheless, the President's budget does include a number of recommended reductions for Medicaid that Congress is likely to consider as part of a budget "reconciliation" bill that will be taken up later this year. Overall, these reductions are projected to reduce federal Medicaid spending (i.e. federal matching funds for the states) by $20 billion over the next 5 years and $60 billion over the next decade. While full details of these reductions are not available yet, they appear to target reforms aimed at curbing methods that states have used to maximize federal matching funds..."  
  

Making Medicaid a Block Grant Program: An Analysis of the Implications of Past Proposals A report, in Adobe Acrobat format, by Jeanne Lambrew of George Washington University commissioned by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured - "In 2003, President Bush proposed converting Medicaid from an entitlement to a block grant program. Similar ideas from President Reagan in 1981 and Congress in 1995 were introduced but not enacted. Block grants aim to provide greater federal budget certainty and a stronger state incentive to contain program costs. This paper compares the preestablished funding levels proposed in 1981 and 1995 with what actually happened to federal Medicaid spending. Its results show that previous block grant proposals’ funding levels at the national and state levels were quite different from what was anticipated and what occurred. As a result, Medicaid probably could not—and cannot—maintain existing health coverage under a block grant financing structure."  
  

Healthcare Costs Take Big Bite From Economy Los Angeles Times story - "Increased spending for healthcare is gobbling up about one-quarter of the growth in the economy, and health-related items now amount to more than three times the defense budget and twice what the nation devotes to education, a report released today concludes. The study by researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health comes as the Bush administration and lawmakers of both parties cautiously are trying to restart a national debate on how to rein in costs and cover an estimated 45 million Americans who lack health insurance." [Viewing Los Angeles Times stories requires registration, which is free]. See also the full report (Adobe Acrobat format, 56 pages).  
  

Agencies forge partnership (California) Eureka Reporter story - "Mental health counseling, child abuse prevention, dental care and parent education are just a few of the services that could be enhanced by a new partnership being formed between the Department of Health and Human Services and Community and Family Resource Centers. Agency representatives met recently in the first step to strengthen relationships and connections that will eventually help all of the agencies provide improved services to the community. The Department of Health and Human Services has received funds to restructure the Child Welfare Services program. In addition, the department is in the process of applying for several grants and has committed $300,000 to Community or Family Resource Centers..."