Medicaid spending to come in under budget

JACKSON — It looks as if Medicaid spending is going to come in under the forecast, but Gov. Haley Barbour is still urging lawmakers to be cautious.

“(Yesterday) the Division of Medicaid advised me spending for Medicaid beneficiaries will actually be less than the amount budgeted last April. My conservative estimate is there will be $40-50 million less spent by Medicaid in FY11 than budgeted, and that number is subject to fluctuation based on a number of variables, particularly utilization rates.

“The surplus could be higher, but I strongly recommend the Legislature be cautious when estimating this number.

“Congratulations to our team at the Division of Medicaid for the strong management and excellent controls they are employing in operating this large, complicated program.”