Congressman Tim Murphy was the prime co-sponsor on the recently passed Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act, which reduces waste and fraud in Medicaid and keeps critical programs that serve children in low-income families sufficiently funded.
Had the bill not passed, Pennsylvania would have lost $275 million in federal funding this year.
The bill delays implementation of new regulations designed by the Bush Administration that would have eliminated or severely cut Medicaid reimbursements for a host of services to poorer children and the disabled, including clinic and outpatient rehabilitation services. Funding would have also been cut to teaching hospitals, specialized transportation to schools for disabled children on Medicaid, case management services that allow disabled persons to live in their communities, and state provider tax laws.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the legislation will result in a net savings of $3 million for taxpayers over the next ten years.
