Barbour defends Medicaid cuts

By By Terry R. Cassreino / assistant managing editor
July 30, 2004
PHILADELPHIA Gov. Haley Barbour on Thursday defended cuts that will remove 65,000 people from state Medicaid rolls and force them to find health care and prescription coverage from other sources.
Barbour, a Republican who spoke to more than 300 people under the tin roof of the Founders Square pavilion, said out-of-control Medicaid spending had threatened the stability of the program.
Plus, he said, it was "sucking money away from education and other areas of government."
But Attorney General Jim Hood, the state's top ranking Democrat, told fairgoers in a speech before Barbour spoke that the governor and the Legislature should not remove anyone from Medicaid.
Hood said that the governor and the Legislature should delay the move at least until January, giving lawmakers time to study the issue during the 2005 Legislature.
Lawmakers voted earlier this year for Medicaid reforms that will remove about 65,000 poor, elderly and disabled recipients from the Medicaid rolls.
Officials say that about 18,000 of the Medicaid recipients could receive federal waivers to remain on the program, while others could use the federally funded Medicare program.
The move was supposed to take place July 1. Barbour delayed it until Sept. 15 to allow for more time to assist people to make the change or find other assistance.
The governor, who has been hit by sharp public criticism the past two months for the cuts which he supported stood by the move.