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May 29, 2007 Update on CMS Proposed Medicaid CutsPresident Bush Signs Supplemental Spending bill with Medicaid, CME Provisions On May 25, 2007 President Bush signed into law H.R. 2206, the emergency supplemental spending bill for the Iraq/Afghanistan wars. This bill included IHA supported language that places a one-year moratorium on measures in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed Medicaid rule that would have weakened intergovernmental transfer programs, reduced payments to public hospitals, and eliminated reimbursements for graduate medical education under Medicaid. Congress cleared the bill for the President’s signature the previous day. The moratorium provision was attached to the initial Senate bill by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin (D) who has fought to protect Medicaid from CMS regulatory cuts of $4.8 billion throughout this process. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-5) was actively involved in carrying these measures on the House side. IHA commends and thanks Sen. Durbin and Emanuel for their leadership. In addition, IHA extends gratitude to all members of our Illinois delegation who have circulated and/or signed letters and weighed in with their leadership to lay the groundwork for protecting Medicaid. Sen. Durbin and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-9) both circulated letters in opposition to the CMS cuts earlier this spring. Despite passage of the legislation, CMS is expected to publish the final Medicaid rule on May 29. The moratorium however will block implementation of the rule until May 2008. The supplemental bill also includes $650 million in emergency funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to help more than a dozen states, including Illinois, which are facing program shortfalls. | |
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