"Fourth delay in care plan sought; US balks at hike proposed in yearly Medicaid funding" by Kay Lazar, Globe Staff | August 9, 2008
Federal regulators are balking at the state's proposal to increase Medicaid spending by up to $1 billion a year over the next three years, and this and other sticking points prompted Massachusetts yesterday to request another two-week extension of its healthcare funding package.
The federal payments, which are crucial for keeping the state's landmark health insurance law afloat, were set to expire June 30, but the state has received three extensions, and a fourth would postpone the deadline for reaching an agreement until Aug. 25.
At stake in the negotiations between state and federal officials is more than $11 billion in federal funds over three years, money earmarked for dozens of healthcare programs in Massachusetts in addition to the state's crown jewel: its two-year-old near-universal health coverage law that has provided insurance to more than 350,000 residents.
Medicaid is a state and federally funded program that provides healthcare assistance to low income people. Over the past decade, Massachusetts has been granted waivers from Medicaid rules to expand assistance to residents who wouldn't otherwise be eligible for coverage.
"If we don't get everything we are looking for in the waiver, we would either have to come up with the money through [state] reserves, or we would have to cut benefits," said Senator Steven Panagiotakos, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
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Trillions for wars, billions for banks, billions for.... aaaaaaah, you know the rest!
