Groups Appeal State Budget

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(STATEHOUSE) - Groups who didn’t get their slice of the pie in the house version of a new two-year budget are appealing to the senate.

The Senate Appropriations Committee will hear from colleges and state agencies in two hearings later this week, but it opened the week with a gripe session from groups feeling shortchanged.

Advocates pleaded for restored funding for the state's seven centers for independent living, and for treatment for patients with brain injuries.

Business groups urged the revival of three venture-capital funds for high-tech startups. And the Indiana State Medical Association echoed republicans who blast house democrats' flatlined Medicaid budget as unrealistic.

ISMA lobbyist Zach Cattell says the family and social services administration has responded by publishing notice of an intent to cut reimbursements to health providers by 5%.

Cattell concedes the possible cut is more a political statement than a realistic plan, but he complains reimbursement rates are too low to begin with. He warns those repayment rates push up insurance premiums, and are threatening to push doctors to drop out of Medicaid.

Appropriations Chairman Bob Meeks (R-Lagrange) says the FSSA notice is premature, since the senate hasn't even passed a budget yet. Whatever the senate produces will be only a stage-setter for negotiations between the house and senate in the final two weeks of the legislative session, which must conclude by April 29.

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