Stimulation, Titillation, Medication
In 61-37 vote the US Senate today passed a version of the economic stimulus package. The news that’s relevant to me; both the House and Senate packages contain increased Medicaid funds for states. Good news for someone whose work is intrinsically tied to Medicaid funds. But here’s the fight that’s shaping up in Oregon; we’re getting increased federal money for our Medicaid program, which means that the state contribution is less which frees those dollars back into the general fund. How will they be used? I would hope that the State would not divert this new federal money to other programs. Medicaid is in line for some pretty dramatic cuts in the Governor’s proposed budget, cuts that will have a deeply harmful impact on the quality of life of Seniors and People with Disabilities. Need for Medicaid is at a high point, and will continue to rise as the population ages. Also, in terms of economic stimulus, the return on investment for Medicaid is very high. It remains to be seen what the State will do, as we’re still very early in the process, but I hope that the passage of this federal stimulus will give legislators the tools they need to sustain meaningful funding in the Medicaid program.
