Medicaid Provisions in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005
Cuts Directly Affecting Mediciad Beneficiaries
March 2, 2006
On February 8, 2006, President Bush signed into law the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which inflicts the harshest cuts in Medicaid ever made. The House bill passed by only 2 votes, but now it is the law. The cuts that are mandatory for
all state Medicaid programs will be discussed first. Next, optional cuts that states may adopt will be discussed, which will soon be a battleground in state legislatures. Finally, some positive options for states will be discussed. This outline does not cover cuts in provider rates. Read More