Federal Government Should 'Pay Its Bills' Instead Of Shifting Health Care, Other Costs To States, Arizona Gov. Napolitano Writes

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 25 Apr 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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States are "in a precarious position" this year because the "economy is slowing down," revenues from taxes are declining and "demand for expensive services -- health care, food assistance and the like -- is growing," Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece. Napolitano adds that states' "fiscal crunch is being made worse" by "misguided policies put in place by Congress and the Bush administration."

She writes, "The Bush administration has perfected the nasty habit of cost-shifting to the states." For example, "in August 2007, President Bush stopped states from expanding SCHIP to cover children in families who earn more than 250% of the federal poverty level," and the "administration has also proposed or issued eight different regulations that alter the federal-state Medicaid partnership." The SCHIP rule will cause states to "carry the additional burden of providing health care for these children," and the Medicaid rules "simply shift costs to states and localities," according to Napolitano.

Napolitano writes, "Rest assured, states will manage their economic challenges and balance their budgets as they have before," but "Washington's failure to meet its obligations is forcing states to cut education, health care and other vital services." She concludes, "The federal government should accept its responsibility, do no harm and pay its bills" (Napolitano, Wall Street Journal, 4/24).

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