NY State Medicaid  Cuts

Theological/Ethical Points

• Government is responsible for well being of its people.
• It is wrong to burden the afflicted while asking little of the well-to-do.
• Health care is a basic necessity.

Medicaid Problems in Governor’s Budget

• eliminating dental services, podiatry, and psychological counseling for adults on Medicaid,
• curtailing home health care aides for severely disabled children
• increasing co-payments by Medicaid recipients for prescription drugs from 50 cents to a dollar
• allowing families to keep fewer assets when an elderly person enters a nursing home.
• limiting services and eligibility for Family Health Plus, (the health insurance program for the working poor), such as:

                -       adding co-pays

                -       adding assets test

                -       eliminating vision and dental

                -       making applicants wait a year after having group insurance

                       
What Will Help

• Maintain services presently offered
• Expand Family Health Plus eligibility, especially in times of  economic hardship

  3/2004