The governor’s plan that could limit who in Connecticut can receive Medicaid, government’s health program for the poor, has been put on hold by two key legislative panels.
CTMirror.org, a media partner of CTLatinoNews.com, reports that after a day-long meeting, two panels of state lawmakers balked — at least for now — at giving Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration the go-ahead to set into motion the plan. It could end state health assistance for more than 13,000 of Connecticut’s poorest residents.
Keith Phaneuf reported, “The administration wants the federal government to allow Connecticut to impose two temporary restrictions on the Medicaid for Low Income Adults program, known as LIA. But the administration needs the approval of the Appropriations and Human Services committees to make the request. The committees have until Aug. 18 to act.”
Malloy’s budget director, Office of Policy and Management Secretary Benjamin Barnes, told the legislators that LIA’s budget stood at $622 million last fiscal year, and changes are necessary to stem rising costs until federal aid for the program increases in 2014.
If the Malloy administration, the article said, is allowed to submit the application, and if federal officials grant approval, the Department of Social Services would start to contact LIA clients in October, with the goal of identifying the newly ineligible patients by Jan. 1.
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