JOINT RESOLUTION MEMORIALIZING THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ACT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF MAINE CITIZENS CONCERNING MEDICAID CHANGES

your Memorialists, the Members of the One Hundred and Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Maine now assembled in the Second Regular Session, most respectfully present and petition the United States Congress as follows:

WHEREAS,  the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released a set of changes to Medicaid service reimbursements that would eliminate or reduce federal reimbursements for certain targeted case management, rehabilitation, hospital outpatient, administrative and transportation services and prohibit the opportunity for private services to earn federal matching funds; and

WHEREAS,  the reductions in reimbursements will be catastrophic for our social safety net, for the mentally ill, for those who are aged and for children with special education needs; and

WHEREAS,  the State and the Nation are facing challenging economic times and making difficult budgeting decisions due to a struggling economy; and

WHEREAS,  the changes serve as an immediate $45 million cut in funds to the State to provide services at a time when Maine is already facing at least a $95 million shortfall in the state budget, and Maine property taxpayers will have to shoulder the burden of increased local costs to provide the services that will no longer be paid for by the Federal Government; and

WHEREAS,  the Medicaid changes were issued with an extremely short timeline for states and local communities to adjust to the lost revenue and determine how to deliver the federally mandated services through their own budgets; and

WHEREAS,  the changes will have a crippling effect of more than $140 million to the very necessary health care service industry, which employs thousands of people in the State and provides crucial services to Medicaid recipients; and

WHEREAS,  the cuts will have a severely negative economic impact on our local communities, our State and our Nation at a time when President George W. Bush is talking about the need for economic stimulus to keep our country out of a recession; and

WHEREAS,  the policy decisions that were made to institute these changes seem to be short-sighted and will have a negative impact on the health, safety and economic potential of not only the State of Maine, but of the Nation; now, therefore, be it

That We, your Memorialists, respectfully urge and request that the elected members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate defend the vulnerable citizens, children, seniors, service providers and taxpayers of Maine and the United States by working to withdraw these harmful changes before they go into effect; and be it further

That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and to each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.