November 20, 2009
Boise, Idaho
'I couldn't live without it'
By Kiersten Throndsen
BOISE - Karen McWilliams is on a very tight budget.
"I get $699 a month," she said. McWilliams receives disability services through Medicaid. It's money she says she couldn't live without. "I wouldn't be here because the medicine that I take for my heart I wouldn't be able to get it. I mean it's expensive," McWilliams said. She is one of 192,000 Idahoans who gets Medicaid. But Health and Welfare officials say they may be at risk of of losing millions of dollars in federal assistance in the next year. "I don't think we've been in a challenge like this with our Medicaid program before," said Tom Shanahan, spokesman for Health and Welfare. Right now, Idaho covers 20 percent of Medicaid bills. The rest is covered with federal money. But Health and Welfare says 10 percent of what the federal government pays now could expire in the next fiscal year leaving the state left to cover $130 million shortfall. "It affects not only the people who are being served but also the medical providers and the medical community," Shanahan said. Health and Welfare officials say if the federal government doesn't reauthorize its 80 percent coverage they will have to look at making cuts to some of their services. And that has McWilliams left wondering what that could mean for her situation. "If I didn't have Health and Welfare-Medicaid I wouldn't be able to make it. I would be back out on the streets," she said. There is no set date yet on when the federal government could decide to reauthorize their funding but Health and Welfare hopes it happens before state lawmakers start setting the state budget come this legislative session. |
Upload directly from your mobile device. Learn howYouNews
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled.
Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
Resources and info you need to prepare for the switch to DTV. Stay Connected |
Viewer PollConnect with KBCI-TVMost Popular
|
Copyright © 2009
KBCI-TV, 140 N. 16th Street,
Boise,
ID
83702
Copyright © 2008 Fisher Communications, Inc.
Powered by Broadcast Interactive Media.