Alabama voters approve moving money from state trust fund to balance budget

Medicaid officials say the vote results will help prevents massive cuts that had been forecast.

The Associated Press: Final Tally: Alabama Voters Approve Budget Rescue 2-To-1
Alabama voters decided by a 2-to-1 margin Tuesday to avoid dramatic cuts in state government by withdrawing $437 million from a state trust fund to help balance the General Fund budget for the next three years. State Health Officer Don Williamson, who oversees the state Medicaid program, said it will still have to make $20 million to $40 million in cuts to live within the new year's budget, but that will be much less painful than the massive cuts that were forecast (9/19).

The Associated Press: State's Medicaid Costs Could Rise $600M
The state of Indiana's Medicaid costs could rise by as much as $600 million over the next seven years, as the deadline for the new federal health care law approaches. That's according to new numbers presented to legislators by the state's Family and Social Services Administration (Kehoe, 9/19).

Meanwhile, in other Medicaid news -

The Associated Press: Medicaid Health Records Available Online In Fla.
Florida Medicaid recipients can now access their personal health records online. State health officials said Wednesday that beneficiaries can use the My Florida Health eBook to track information about their doctor's visits, procedures, medications and immunizations. They can also update the records with notes about allergies and chart personal health information such as their weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels (9/20).