Medicaid: Judge halts Calif. cuts

Cuts to state Medicaid programs are in the news: A federal judge on Monday stopped cuts to California's Medicaid program, and state lawmakers in Nebraska are offering a bill to stop Medicaid cuts in their state.

The Associated Press/San Francisco Chronicle: Tentative Ruling In Medi-Cal Case Stops Cuts
A federal judge has issued a tentative ruling to stop cuts to payments medical providers get from serving Medi-Cal patients in California. In a tentative ruling issued Monday, the judge repeatedly sided with the California Medical Association and plaintiffs. In October, federal health officials approved broad cuts to the state's insurance program for the poor and disabled after state legislation demanding the cuts was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown (1/30).

Los Angeles Times: Judge Blocks Cut To Healthcare For Poor Californians
U.S. District Court Judge Christina Snyder said Monday she will temporarily block a 10% cut in Medi-Cal payments to doctors, dentists and other healthcare providers. In a 25-page order, the Los Angeles-based judge said she recognized the state's budget problems but that the cuts raised the risk of "irreparable harm in the absence of an injunction" (Megerian, 1/30).

The Associated Press/San Francisco Chronicle: Neb. Bill Would Halt Planned Cuts To Medicaid
The State of Nebraska should reinstate planned cuts to the Medicaid program to better serve children and low income families, several health care advocates say. Members of several advocate groups spoke Monday at the Capitol in favor of a bill that would prohibit the implementation of $28 million in planned cuts to the Medicaid program. Officials from the Nebraska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Building Bright Futures and the Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations say the cuts hurt people that need help the most (1/30).