Letter: Bill supports biomarker testing
This letter originally ran in the Lincoln Journal Star.
News
Money Changes Everything....Maybe.
February 6, 2009
As of last week, at least 29 states have enacted or proposed cuts to their Medicaid programs in response to rising budget deficits.
For those of us in the cancer world, one of the most disturbing cuts was the decision in December of South Carolina to limit Medicaid eligibility for women with breast and cervical cancer. Now, only women screened by specific providers will be covered by Medicaid in South Carolina, previously all women with breast and cervical cancer were eligible for Medicaid coverage during their treatment. And our advocates have heard murmurs of additional proposed cuts to the Medicaid eligibility of women with breast and cervical cancer in other states.
To help stem these cuts, Congress is working to pass the economic stimulus bill which includes $87 billion for state Medicaid programs. This money will help states preserve healthcare coverage for our nation's most vulnerable populations. It will also help state economies by enhancing and preserving business activity, jobs, and wages. However, in order to get this money, states must not reduce Medicaid eligibility levels or make it harder to keep Medicaid than it was on July 1, 2008. States that have made eligibility cuts have until July 1, 2009 to reverse them.
The stimulus package is a good news/bad news situation for cancer patients enrolled in Medicaid. The good news is that as long as states are receiving the stimulus money, women with breast and cervical cancer will continue to remain eligible for the Medicaid program. However, the bad news is that states will still face dramatic shortfalls in their overall budgets. Consequently, cuts in Medicaid benefits and increased co-pays will surely be an option that states explore. Thus, while the availability of enrollment in Medicaid is protected, cancer patients enrolled in Medicaid may face less affordable and less adequate care as states struggle to balance their budgets.
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