Current Events-Medicaid

New York City’s governor, David Paterson, wants release a budget next week that will include cuts to the state Medicaid program to reimburse hospitals and doctors for services to low-income patients. This program would provide for broken bones to be put in casts, but treatment for asthma may be cut back. Many State officials argue that New York has been inefficient in Medicare spending, and use money toward expensive hospital treatment of problems that could be handled in the doctor’s office. On the other hand, many people are saying that hospitals employ more people than on Wall Street and cutting back the budget would hurt salaries of employees, causing many to be laid off because of the cut back of money brought into the hospitals. Also, this proposal would affect everyone in the state greatly, as 30% of hospitals are Medicaid.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/nyregion/11hospitals.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2