State Budgets and Medicaid Costs

States begging Congress for $24B Medicaid bailout, By Chris Woodward (AP), June 9, 2010, Miami Herald: “Four governors and a leading national economist urged Congress on Wednesday to send an additional $24 billion bailout to the states, saying cash-strapped governments face deep budget cuts and thousands of lost jobs without the aid. The money would flow through Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor jointly financed by state and federal governments. Congress picked up a larger share of Medicaid costs through the 2009 stimulus bill, but that aid will expire in December. States have been hoping for a six-month extension as the slow economic recovery continues to crimp tax collections. In a recent survey, the National Conference of State Legislatures found that 30 states already were factoring the money into their budgets for 2011…”