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Lincoln's Medicaid relief proposal folded into Katrina package Thursday, Sep 15, 2005 By Alison Vekshin Stephens Washington Bureau WASHINGTON -- Arkansas senators joined a coalition on Wednesday to promote health-care relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina. A bill they introduced includes a call for federal support for Medicaid programs in the states hardest hit by the disaster. "Hurricane Katrina has created a national health-care crisis," Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., said in a statement. Lincoln joined Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa and Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., in unveiling the legislation. "Arkansas has opened its arms and welcomed thousands of evacuees with unmatched hospitality and care," Pryor said in a statement. "This bill will ensure that states like Arkansas are able to continue providing health care to evacuees without going bankrupt." Lincoln had sponsored an amendment last week that would ensure Katrina survivors eligible for the federal-state Medicaid system are quickly enrolled in the states where they find refuge. She withdrew it after it was folded into the broader hurricane health-care bill that sponsors are hoping to bring to a Senate vote. The bill would simplify access to Medicaid for displaced Katrina survivors, increase federal funding for Medicaid in affected states, and offer federal funds to hospitals and health-care providers who have provided uncompensated care. "In this storm's aftermath, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced to all corners of the country and this is placing excessive demands on our health-care system," Lincoln said. -- 30 -- |
