No Medicaid Cuts in Oklahoma...For Now

Gov. Brad Henry OKs bills to put budget deal into action
Funds to prevent trooper furloughs, reverse medicaid provider rate cuts
BY MICHAEL MCNUTT The Oklahoman
Published: March 6, 2010

Gov. Brad Henry quietly signed bills Friday that complete a budget agreement that takes care of a nearly $300 million projected deficit at the end of this fiscal year. The bills’ approval provides emergency funds to head off trooper furloughs and reverse recently announced Medicaid provider rate cuts of 3.5 percent.

Bills signed Friday by the governor included emergency funding for several agencies:

• Corrections: $7.2 million
• Public safety: $3 million
• Public schools: $54.4 million
• Higher education: $25.6 million
• Health Care Authority: $33 million
• House Bill 1017 Education Fund: $50 million
• Rehabilitative Services Department: $1.2 million
• Central Services Department: $700,000 (to replace boilers in the Will Rogers and Sequoyah office buildings)

The governor signed 20 bills that implement the agreement through appropriations and funding transfers.

The budget agreement calls for spending $223.5 million of the state’s savings account — the Rainy Day Fund — and using $181 million of about $696 million in available federal stimulus funds to close out the 2010 fiscal year, which ends June 30.

Read more: http://newsok.com/article/3444382#ixzz0hSHu95rU.