Legislators, Providers Continue
to Urge Budget Conferees to Protect Medicaid
April 2, 2004 - Legislators and provider groups continue
to team up to urge House and Senate conferees to the FY 2005
budget resolution and other lawmakers to reject Medicaid cuts
in the final version of the budget blueprint. Conferees have
been negotiating this week in an attempt to reach an agreement
so as to meet the April 15 deadline.
A March 31 letter sent by Sen. Gordon
Smith (R-Ore.) and 5 other Republicans urged Senate Budget
Committee Chairman Don Nickles (R-Okla.) and Ranking Minority
Member Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) "to protect Medicaid from
cuts in any final budget conference agreement," arguing
that the Finance Committee "not be required to produce
budgetary savings that will lead to cuts in the Medicaid program."
Sens. Arlen Specter (Pa.), Norm Coleman (Minn.), Lincoln Chafee
(R.I.), Olympia Snowe (Maine), and Susan Collins (Maine) also
signed the letter.
Reps. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.)
are circulating for signatures a similar letter
to their House Republican colleagues.
Meanwhile, in a March 29 letter,
the AAMC and 19 other provider groups continued to urge Representatives
and Senators to reject Medicaid cuts in the final budget resolution.
"We urge Congress to reject provisions in the House agreement
that include reconciliation instructions to the House Energy
and Commerce Committee that will effectively result in cuts
to the Medicaid program. Congress should retain provisions
in the Senate agreement that the Finance Committee should
not be required to produce budgetary savings that will lead
to cuts in the Medicaid program."
The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family
Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,
American College of Physicians, American College of Rheumatology,
American College of Surgeons, American Geriatrics Society,
American Health Care Association, American Hospital Association,
American Medical Association, Catholic Health Association
of the United States, Federation of American Hospitals, National
Association of Children's Hospitals, National Association
of Community Health Centers, National Association of Public
Hospitals and Health Systems, National Center for Assisted
Living, Society of General Internal Medicine, Society of Hospital
Medicine, and VHA Inc. also signed the letter
The Senate-passed budget agreement assumes $11 billion in
Medicaid cuts, however, it does not require the Finance Committee
to make such cuts due to an amendment passed on the Senate
floor [see Washington Highlights, March 12]. The House-passed
budget resolution requires the House Energy and Commerce Committee
to cut entitlement spending by $2 billion over five years.
Information:
Lynne Davis Boyle, Assistant Vice President
AAMC Government Relations
ldavisboyle@aamc.org
(202) 828-0526
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