State seeks court's help to keep Medicaid funds
State seeks court's help to keep Medicaid funds
By Josh Rabe
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Published: March 4, 2008
Oklahoma has joined three other states in a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over budget cuts that took effect Monday.
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Why were the funds cut?
Medicaid officials said the cuts were made to comply with a 2005 deficit reduction act. Their goal is to eliminate $1.28 billion in spending by 2013.
The program in question, known as "targeted case management,” has been available since the mid-1980s to help people get medical, educational and other necessary social services. However, Medicaid officials argue states are now relying too much on federal dollars to fund social services not directly tied to Medicaid, including staff positions necessary to operate state-level social service agencies.
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Even more may be lost
The state Office of Juvenile Affairs loses at least $3 million it receives to pay case workers who work with troubled and at-risk youths.
Gene Christian, the agency's director, said he fears it will lose $5 million more as a result of the new rule if his agency is no longer a qualified Medicaid provider. That lost funding could cause the closure of 74 of the Oklahoma's 222 beds at community group homes that provide mental health and substance abuse treatment.
"Many states have been scrambling to try to figure out how to deal with this situation,” Fogarty said.
Related Topics:
Health and Fitness, Medicine, Civil Trials, Trials, Health Care Costs, Health Care Issues
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