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Democrats vote against Medicaid recipients

Contributed by: Joe Stengel on 2/20/2006

Democrats voted on Feb. 16 against the second Republican Medicaid measure that would have given willing Medicaid participants more autonomy over their care and the future of their assets while saving Colorado taxpayers money.

"This is the second vote by Democrats against bipartisanship, against efficiency in government, and against increased choice for Medicaid recipients," said House Republican Leader Joe Stengel, R-Littleton.

On a party-line vote, the House Judiciary Committee killed a measure sponsored by state Rep. Dale Hall, R-Greeley, to give tax relief to more Coloradans in need of long-term care. House Bill 1298 would have increased the amount of federal income that a person can have and still qualify for the existing state income tax credit for long-term care.

"This measure would have relieved some of the burden the state is bearing for Medicaid costs, and would have given more choice to some Medicaid recipients," Hall said. "There are Coloradans that could have used this money to purchase their own health care insurance and escape the stringent requirements of Medicaid, while at the same time saving the taxpayers money."

Last month, Democrats on the House Health and Human Services voted to kill House Bill 1029, by state Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, to create an optional Medicaid program for willing participants.

The bill would have allowed Medicaid recipients to escape the stringent requirements of Medicaid and to retain control of the future of their assets in exchange for the recipient accepting 50 percent of the benefits for which they qualify.

When a person elects to participate in Medicaid, they agree to allow the state to recover costs through their assets when they are no longer alive.

"Democrats had the opportunity with these proposals to work with Republicans for the good of the people of Colorado," Lundberg said. "Instead they have voted twice to rob Coloradans on Medicaid of increased choice and flexibility, and they have robbed Colorado taxpayers of a more effective and efficient Medicaid program."

There are seven Democrats and six Republicans on both the House Finance Committee and the House Health and Human Services Committee.


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Showing 1 of 1 comments
Submitted By: Brad Bettag
posted on 3/22/2006 @ 11:51:40 PM
(Not Rated)
The only way to "fix" the medicaid program by making it cheaper is to a) cut benefits or b) cut eligibility. Medicaid is underfunded as it is. If you really want to fix that problem why don't you tackle the fact that our medical services charge at times 8 times more than a medical facility elsewhere in the first world. Why not make health care affordable to everyone, not just the lucky people who can afford medical insurance?
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