MEDICAID: DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS OPPOSE CLINTON PLAN
"Congressional Democrats from California, cheered on byThis is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
Republicans, have revolted against President Clinton's" Medicaid
reform plan, COPLEY NEWS SERVICE/SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE reports.
Led by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) and Reps. Henry Waxman (D) and Anna
Eshoo (D), all but one member of the California congressional
delegation signed on to a bipartisan letter that urges Clinton
and party leaders to "abandon the proposal that would cap federal
Medicaid contributions to states at approximately current levels"
(see AHL 1/14). According to the letter, "[The plan] would
unfairly penalize California and other states which have worked
hard to control excess spending on medical care and it would
benefit inefficient states for their exorbitance." Sen. Boxer
said that she has told the administration that "these Medicaid
changes are not acceptable to me or to California."
ITEM BY ITEM: The letter stated that the members of the
delegation "vigorously oppose the imposition of a per capita cap
on the state's federal receipts from the Medicaid program." The
per-capita cap, according to the letter, "would distort market
incentives by rewarding high costs and inefficiency and punishing
states that have been effective in keeping their Medicaid costs
low."
GOING SOLO: A spokesperson for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D),
the only member of the delegation who did not sign the letter,
said Feinstein does not necessarily support the Clinton plan but
is "examining" several budget options (Green, 4/30).