Barbour testifies before Senate committee on Medicaid

WASHINGTON — Gov. Haley Barbour yesterday testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance on the need for Medicaid reform.

Barbour described difficulties states have in shaping Medicaid to fit their unique needs. He repeated his calls for a block grant allocation that would allow states to provide better care to residents in the program.

“It is unrealistic and unfair to think that states can manage their Medicaid programs when the federal government permits the states no flexibility in designing and no flexibility in administering their programs while the federal government is continuing to push the ever-growing costs for the program down to the states,” Barbour said. “Most governors accept the fact that states will receive less money from the federal government for Medicaid but in return we must have more flexibility to achieve the savings required.”

Source: Governor’s Office