government
Minnesota requests additional Medicaid funding
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 20, 2010
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Sept. 7 formally requested his state's $263 million share of a $16 billion stimulus Medicaid funding extension Congress adopted in August. Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is requiring governors to publicly and proactively request the Medicaid funding. In an Aug. 16 letter, she told them they must ask for the additional support by Sept. 24 or forfeit it.
Pawlenty is one of eight Republican governors who refused to sign a February letter from other governors seeking the funding. He has criticized the economic stimulus package and other government spending. In August, he issued an executive order requiring state agencies to seek his office's approval before pursuing grants available through the national health reform law. The Minnesota Medical Assn. had urged Pawlenty to seek the money.
On average, the federal government pays for 57% of each state's Medicaid program. The extension will increase the share by 3.2 percentage points between January and March 2011 and 1.2 percentage points from April through June 2011.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/09/20/gvbf0920.htm.
