U.S. Says Medicaid Money Was Obtained Improperly

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/12/politics/12medicaid.html?th&emc=th

The Bush administration on Monday named 15 states that it said had used improper accounting techniques to obtain excessive amounts of federal Medicaid money.

Federal officials contend that the 15 states have been "recycling" federal money, rather than using state and local tax revenue to pay their full share of the costs of Medicaid, which provides health insurance to more than 50 million low-income people.

State officials defended their practices, saying that in some cases federal officials had explicitly approved the arrangements. State officials also said that they had repeatedly asked the federal government to clarify the rules.

<...>

Michael O. Leavitt, the secretary of health and human services, has repeatedly said that some states are using "accounting gimmicks" to shift costs to the federal treasury. But until Monday the administration had not publicly identified the states.


Here they are: Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington

Didn't the Bush administration recently say they would not necessarily enforce the rules equally for all states? What's the game being played with this, I wonder?

Hmmm ...

--p!

The other three are the bluest of the blue.

--p!

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Washington one of 14 states accused of excessive Medicaid claims

By ROBERT PEAR
THE NEW YORK TIMES

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration yesterday named Washington and 14 other states that it said had used improper accounting techniques to obtain excessive amounts of federal Medicaid money.

Federal authorities contend that the 15 states have been "recycling" federal money, rather than using state and local tax revenue to pay their full share of the costs of Medicaid, which provides health insurance to more than 50 million low-income people.

Officials from the states defended their practices, saying that in some cases, federal authorities had explicitly approved them. State officials also said that they had repeatedly asked the federal government to clarify the rules.

The dispute over the accounting practices arises at a time when the National Governors' Association is negotiating with the administration and Congress to rein in the explosive growth in the program's costs.

(more)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/219739_medicaid12.html

After a very contentious race, is it any wonder Washington was named?