Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Idaho to cut $8 million from Medicaid, which will affect those with mental illness or autism

From The Associated Press:

BOISE, Idaho -- The state is poised to make $8 million worth of cuts to Medicaid programs and services that cater to low-income adults with severe mental illness or children with disabilities like autism.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has drafted a new set of rules that would authorize cuts designed to save the agency about $1.6 million. The state cuts, however, would also trigger the loss of another $6.5 million in Medicaid matching money used to pay for those services.

Advocates for the mentally ill and disabled say the rules unfairly target a group that can ill afford rollbacks in services and programs.

Set to go in effect in January, the reductions or elimination of some services target programs for adults diagnosed with severe depression and schizophrenia, or children with Asperger's syndrome or other developmental challenges.