Medicaid

May 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today reintroduced legislation aimed at reducing obesity, particularly among children and adolescents.

Bingaman’s “Obesity Prevention, Treatment and Research Act of 2009” would develop a national strategy to organize the nation’s efforts to combat childhood and adult obesity by encouraging unprecedented collaborations across federal agencies, and among private entities and communities.    » read more »

May 15, 2009 -- TRENTON - New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine today outlined the latest $150 million in cuts he has ordered to state programs, pushing the total cuts to state government in FY2009 past the $2 billion mark.

“These are tough but necessary choices,” Governor Corzine said. “The cuts we are making are unprecedented but we are experiencing a national economic crisis the likes of which we haven’t seen in generations. We are living up to our fiscal responsibility as we face even more difficult choices in the next two months.”

The latest round of cuts just seven weeks before the end of the fiscal year on June 30 is in response to the steep decline in tax revenues collected by the state because of the ongoing national economic crisis.    » read more »

May 6, 2009 - New York Governor David A. Paterson today applauded U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for proposing to rescind regulations that would have restricted states’ flexibility to administer the Medicaid program, shifted costs from the federal government to states, and significantly reduced funding for critical Medicaid providers, including state agencies, school districts, critical health providers and beneficiaries.    » read more »

March 24, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced that the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has initiated its first draw of more than $363 million in increased federal stimulus funds allowed under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This funding represents the increase in Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) – or Medicaid matching funds – earned for the quarter ending December 31, 2008.

An additional request for more than $412 million of the $454 million for the January through March 2009 quarter will be initiated later today, followed by routine weekly funding requests.    » read more »

Department Has Distributed More than $3 Billion in Recovery Act Funds

March 11, 2009 -- The Department of Health and Human Services today announced the creation of the Office of Recovery Act Coordination. The Office will help ensure the timely, organized and transparent distribution of an estimated $137 billion in Recovery Act Funds managed by the Department of Health and Human Services.    » read more »

Announces members of NJ Recovery Accountability Task Force to oversee stimulus funds

March 09, 2009 -- TRENTON – New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine today announced the launch of a comprehensive Web site outlining the allocation of New Jersey’s share of economic stimulus funds under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and the members of a task force to ensure the funds are properly spent.    » read more »

Says the money will re-energize the Montana Economy

3/6/2009 -- HELENA – Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer today unveiled the details of an estimated $800 million in recovery and reinvestment funding from the federal government that will be invested in Montana over the next 28 months.

“We will be accountable for every single dollar that comes to Montana though the Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer. “It is the right thing to do to get this money on the ground as quickly as possible and get people back to work but it is also the right thing to do to be accountable and responsible with the taxpayer’s money.”    » read more »

Will pump $817 million into Florida’s economy

March 9, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced details about federal stimulus funding coming to Florida as a result of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. While addressing the Florida Hospital Association’s annual Hospital Day in the Legislature, Governor Crist confirmed the federal share of Florida’s Medicaid costs will increase from 55.4 percent to 67.6 percent, infusing more than $817 million into Florida’s economy.    » read more »

March 9, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced she is adding a requirement that state infrastructure projects funded with incoming federal stimulus money contain a 25 percent ‘green’ component, a stipulation that goes beyond federal mandates and is designed to bolster Connecticut’s emerging green collar workforce and while conserving energy and resources.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to not only put people back to work but to build on the progress we have already made to build a green collar workforce and protect our environment,” Governor Rell said. “Connecticut is a proven leader in green technology and renewable energy and it makes perfect sense to position our state for future growth at the same time we rebuild our economy.”    » read more »

Governor Believes New York Should have Highest Quality Health Care System in the Country, Not Just the Most Expensive

March 5, 2009 -- A Policy Memorandum released today by Joseph Baker, Governor David A. Paterson’s Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services, said that New York’s Medicaid costs are, by far, the highest in the country without providing the results patients deserve.

The health care proposals included in Governor Paterson’s Executive Budget will expand coverage and reduce costs, while providing better results for patients.

Baker writes: “New Yorkers deserve an honest, substantive discussion about why we have the most expensive Medicaid system in the country, but far too many in our State do not receive the quality health care they need.”    » read more »

Federal Economic Recovery Legislation Will Help Prevent Increases in Property Taxes as Local Governments Face Significant Budget Shortfalls

March 4, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today announced that county governments and the City of New York will receive an estimated total of $2.7 billion in fiscal relief through increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) reimbursements for Medicaid over 27 months as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. These funds will help prevent further increases in New York’s property tax burden, which is already among the highest in the nation, as local governments seek to close significant budget shortfalls.    » read more »

February 25, 2009 -- OLYMPIA – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on Medicaid funds from the federal economic recovery:

“I am pleased that the federal government is beginning to send recovery funds to Washington through the Medicaid program. The first installment of $339.4 million for Washington state is designated for the state’s current budget year. These funds will provide for increased federal assistance for the state’s Medicaid program which offers medical coverage for low income citizens.

“We appreciate the work of Congress and President Barack Obama to pass the recovery plan and start dollars flowing quickly to the states.”

Source: Washington Governor

February 25th, 2009 -- The first dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are headed out the door today, as the federal government makes $15 billion available to help states shore up their Medicaid funds.

And there's more coming up.

Just a week after President Obama signed the Act into law, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today allocated 75% of its recovery funds -- $10 billion -- to create green jobs, to revive housing markets with high rates of foreclosure, and curb homelessness.    » read more »

February 23, 2009 -- Moving swiftly to bring real relief to Americans hit hard by the economic crisis, President Barack Obama announced today that states will be able to access the first two quarters of Federal Medical Assistance Percentage funding (FMAP) starting this Wednesday, February 25. FMAP – the federal match for Medicare – helps pay for health care for the families struggling during the economic crisis and some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens. More than 49 million Americans rely on Medicaid for health care coverage and this funding could help 20 million more Americans get covered.* The President made the announcement at a meeting of the nation’s governors at the White House.    » read more »

May 22, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that by a vote of 75-22, the US Senate passed the domestic funding portion of the emergency supplemental bill that included an amendment to extend the current one year moratorium on a Medicaid rule regarding public health care providers that would have cut up to $255 million a year in federal funding to Illinois’ Medicaid program, including $179 million to Cook County.

This is the second time Durbin was able to extend the moratorium. The extension of the moratorium is until April 1, 2009 and was passed with a veto proof majority.    » read more »