LANSING – Governor Rick Snyder supports the basic thrust of a letter from the National Governors Association urging federal budget negotiations not to transfer additional costs in the Medicaid program to the states.
In a letter to President Barack Obama and congressional leaders as they attempt to work out an agreement on extending the nation’s debt limit ceiling, which will include a series of budget cuts, the governors oppose proposals to blend Medicaid matching rates for the states for different programs into a single matching rate.
The budget discussions have also discussed limiting the kinds of funds the state can get federal matching monies for.
The letter, signed by Governor Christine Gregoire (D-Washington) and Governor Dave Heineman (R-Nebraska), warned that based on current reports on budget talks the cumulative Medicaid totals spent could be cut by $10 billion a year which could force states to increase spending on the program or to make further cuts to payments to health care providers.
Talks between Obama and congressional leaders on trying to resolve the budget and debt limit issues are supposed to continue on Tuesday.
Sara Wurfel, spokesperson for Snyder, said the governor concurs with the basic principles expressed in the letter.
Among those principles is a call to federal officials to not put greater controls on Medicaid spending by the state without either boosting the amount the states receive or giving the states greater flexibility to manage Medicaid.
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