SEN COLLINS VOTES TO ELIMINATE MEDICAID CUTS IN BUDGET

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Susan Collins today voted in support of a bipartisan amendment introduced by Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) to strike $15 billion in mandatory Medicaid cuts and to instead create a Bipartisan Medicaid Commission charged with reviewing and making recommendations regarding the future of the program. The amendment blocking the cuts passed by a vote of 52-48.

"Medicaid serves as an essential safety net for many low-income and disabled Mainers. As Congress contemplates change in this important program, we need to make sure that we have studied the issue carefully and that all affected parties are part of the process," Senator Collins said. "The commission proposed in our amendment would ensure that states, patients and healthcare providers have a voice in these important discussions and that we make wise decisions in reforming the program. The $15 billion reduction in the Medicaid budget was an arbitrary figure that did not reflect a careful analysis of the impact on the vulnerable population that Medicaid serves."

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