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Cutback Imperil Health Coverage For State's Poor
By Robin Toner and Robert Pear (NYT) April 28, 2003 | News & Links |
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ABSTRACT - Millions of low-income Americans face loss of health
insurance
or sharp cuts in benefits under proposals now moving through
state
legislatures around country; state officials, confronting third
straight year of
fiscal crisis, say they have no choice but to rein in Medicaid,
fast-growing
program that provides health insurance for 50 million people;
many state
officials are pleading for federal help as they face array of
painful trade-offs,
often pitting needs of impoverished elderly people for
prescription drugs and
long-term care against those of low-income families seeking
basic health
coverage; almost every state has made or is planning cuts in
benefits, eligibility
or payments to health care providers; moderate Republicans on
Capitol Hill
have joined Democrats in seeking legislation that would provide
additional
federal aid for Medicaid, which is financed by federal
government and states;
Bush administration opposes such legislation, saying Medicaid
is unsustainable
in its current form and should be revamped to give states
expanded power to
run it; photo; maps (L) Millions of low-income Americans face
the loss of
health insurance or sharp cuts in benefits, like coverage for
prescription drugs
and dental care, under proposals now moving through state
legislatures around the country.
State officials and health policy experts say the cuts will increase the number of uninsured, threaten recent progress in covering children and impose severe strains on hospitals, doctors and nursing homes. | |