Store Research
State Budgets and Health Care
Some bill research does not include the Governor's file because at the time we researched the bill, the sitting Governor had not released his chaptered bill file. If the Governor's file is not included with this particular research, please contact our office (1-530-666-1917 or quote@legintent.com) and we will be happy to provide this file at no charge if it is available. Please Note: Governor files did not exist prior to 1943.
State Budgets and Health Care: With states attempting to close excessive budget gaps, it is not surprising that one avenue for savings will be in health care. The National Conference of State Legislatures has created useful tables showing the actions and proposals by individual states to balance their 2010 budgets with cuts to health care. As you will see, the states are cutting budgets related to both state and federal benefits. While Hawaii’s lawmakers failed to abolish the Hawaii Health Systems Corp., its Disability and Communications Board and its Planning and Development Agency through a combination of revenue measures, budget reductions and federal stimulus money, states such as Connecticut have cut millions from their Department of children and Families, its Department of Social Services, and Department of Developmental Services. Michigan and Ohio cut funding for mental health services while New Jersey decreased the funds available to hospitals by $20 million. The state of Washington enacted budget cuts of $225 million from human services by cutting the basic health plan for the poor and stopping enrollments in the plan, resulting in 40,000 residents losing coverage last July. For 2011 , more cuts are being proposed by state governors, such as Kansas proposing to cut its “Parents as Teachers” program, Maryland proposing to cut $362 million from healthcare and higher education, and North Carolina proposing to impose a hospital or provider tax. Missouri has already cut mental health and social services. Medicaid fees are proposed to be affected also by Missouri, as well as by New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.