$266 million in Medicaid funding at risk

Congress is considering a bill that extends the badly needed enhanced Medicaid matching rates to states for another six months. Without the legislation, the extra funding is set to expire at the end of this year. CT stands to lose $266 million in federal funds. Along with thirty other states, CT has assumed receipt of those funds in the state budget that passed this spring. The version that passed the House Friday did not include the extra Medicaid funding; an earlier version in the Senate does include the funding. The Council of State Governments/Eastern Region and other groups are urging Congress to continue this vital lifeline to states struggling with declining revenues and surging enrollments in these critical safety net programs.
Ellen Andrews