Gov. Renews Push for Funding in Response to President’s Budget
On Tuesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) sent a letter urging California's congressional delegation to fulfill his longstanding request for $6.9 billion in new federal funding, the Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert" reports.
The letter is a response to President Obama's fiscal year 2011 budget proposal, which would provide only $1.5 billion of the governor's request.
In his letter, Schwarzenegger called for the federal government to pay the state about $1 billion to compensate California for federal billing errors related to Medicare. The governor noted that some congressional leaders already are working on a bill that would provide $700 million of the funds.
Schwarzenegger also urged the federal government to provide states with greater authority to cut health and social service programs. He noted that recent court decisions prevented California from implementing about $1.4 billion in scheduled budget cuts (Yamamura, Sacramento Bee, 2/2).
In addition, the governor called for CMS to adjust California's payment calculations under the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. He also asked for more funds to house undocumented immigrant inmates.
Schwarzenegger wrote that Obama's budget "represents only a down payment on what we are owed," and urged California's representatives to continue their efforts to secure more funds for the state (Office of the Governor release, 2/2). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.