Monday, May 09, 2005

States Propose Sweeping Changes to Trim Medicaid by Billions Lead, front page article in the New York Times - "Governors and state legislators have devised proposals for sweeping changes in Medicaid to curb its rapid growth and save billions of dollars. Under the proposals, some beneficiaries would have to pay more for care, and states would have more latitude to limit the scope of services. The proposals, drafted by separate working groups of governors and state legislators, provide guidance to Congress, which 10 days ago endorsed a budget blueprint that would cut projected Medicaid spending by $10 billion over the next five years. Many of the proposals resemble ideas advanced by President Bush as part of his 2006 budget. In some cases, the governors embrace Mr. Bush's proposals but go further. At the same time, they also reject some of the president's recommendations that they believe would shift costs to the states." [Viewing New York Times resources requires registration, which is free]. Abbreviated versions of this story are available at a number of sites that do not require registration, among them The Argus(California) and Vermont's Times-Argus. See also States face "meltdown" over Medicaid (American Medical News).