Poor folks don't need health care

Today's edition of Worst Case Budget Scenarios is what the Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid look like after a 12.5% budget cut as mandated by Governor Goodhair. It ain't pretty.

The worst-case-scenario budget that reduces funding 12.5 percent for Health and Human Services would result in the following:

· Cutting 251,200, or 51 percent of children served, from the Children's Health Insurance Program.

· Cutting 69,800 needy adults from the Medicaid rolls.

· Cutting Medicaid reimbursement to providers by 33 percent, likely meaning fewer doctors and hospitals would accept Medicaid patients.

This is the guy that Perry himself appointed to oversee these programs saying these things, not some namby-pamby limpwrist liberal who just wants to confiscate your paycheck. As always, the Guv himself is demonstrating genuine leadership:

Perry spokeswoman Kathy Walt refused to offer any specific assurances to increasingly alarmed, affected Texans.

"The governor is confident that as the Legislature moves through the budgeting process the Legislature will exercise sound judgment distinguishing between wants and needs" she said.

Translation: If y'all can make this work, I'll take the credit. If it goes to hell in a handbasket, it's the Lege's fault.

The figures are too depressing to quote any more. If there's any silver lining, it's that even I can't believe that Perry and the Lege would go this far. Something will have to give, I just don't know what or when.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on February 28, 2003 to Budget ballyhoo | TrackBack