Monday, February 21, 2005

NAMI Urges Support for Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicaid Announcement at the NAMI web site - "A bipartisan coalition led by Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Jeff Bingaman (D- NM) and Representative Heather Wilson (R-NM) and Donna Christensen have introduced legislation (S 338 & HR 985) to create a bipartisan commission on the future of the Medicaid program. This bill calls for the design of a commission of experts who will evaluate Medicaid and recommend efficiencies before funding cuts or changes to the program are made. In NAMI’s view, it is critically important for policymakers at both the state and federal level to make needed improvements and maintain Medicaid’s role as a critical safety net for the most vulnerable citizens. A Commission will help ensure that efforts to restrain the growth of the program are driven by agreed upon policy objectives, rather than arbitrary assumptions regarding budget cuts..."