ADAPT's Call to Action for Home and Community in America

Common People Holding Our Government Accountable for Enforcing Our Rights

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Looking for the Money: Severe Cuts to Medicaid in Idaho

Idaho lawmakers approve budget cuts for Medicaid
Brian Murphy - Idaho Statesman
Published: 03/04/10

Richard Armstrong, Director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, speaks with reporters following the JFAC budget setting Thursday morning at the Idaho Legislature. Armstrong has some concerns with the language in the budget, which includes a severe cut to Medicaid.

Idaho legislative budget writers approved a Medicaid budget Thursday morning that forces the Department of Health and Welfare to finding savings of more than $47 million in the program and gives Gov. Butch Otter the authority to modify state statutes to keep the program in check.

The entire Medicaid budget is $1.55 billion dollars, with $298 million coming from the General Fund. More than $1.5 billion of the budget comes from the federal government.

Lawmakers expect $25 million to come from the Hospital Assessment Act, a bill that has yet to be introduced this session. Hospitals will pay the state in order to continue to keep its federal match.

That still leaves more than $22 million in savings for the department to find.

For more, see http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/03/04/1104198/idaho-lawmakers-approve-budget.html.

1 comment:

  1. is otto cutting the monies for certified home health providers for the disabled being taken care of in these heath care homes. i had to quit my nursing job to stay home and take care of a 55 year old brother in law i had inheireted because his family could take care of him. he is diagnosed with mental disablilities and i recieve 38.00 per day to care for him. will these fund be cut????

    ReplyDelete