Medicaid Cuts – Maine

State’s Medicaid battle now a court case, By Steve Mistler, September 6, 2012, Morning Sentinel: “Maine’s standoff with the federal government over an estimated $20 million in Medicaid cuts has escalated to a court battle. Attorney General William Schneider said Tuesday that his office has petitioned the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals to force the federal government to approve Maine’s application to eliminate health care benefits for about 33,000 people, or begin paying Maine’s share of the coverage. The petition follows last week’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would not expedite its decision on the state’s application. The LePage administration asked the agency in August to rule on the application by Sept. 1. Federal law allows 90 days to ratify or deny changes to a state’s Medicaid plan. The LePage administration says an expedited decision is necessary because Maine has balanced its budget based on the $20 million in anticipated savings from the health care cuts. The administration submitted its application Aug. 2…”