By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – Saying they heard loud and clear from the public, Medicaid provider rates will not change and funds will be restored to the developmental disability wait list along with community mental health program support as part of the proposed two-year budget and trailer bills under the Senate Finance Committee.
Saying they heard loud and clear from the hundreds who attended its public hearing on the proposed House Budget, the powerful committee also voted unanimously to restore funds for the community mental health support program.
The House has passed in its budget version a 3 percent reduction in Medicaid provider rates.
Sen. David Watters, D-Dover, thanked the Republicans for bringing the amendments forward noting that one of the speakers said that Medicaid is not just a program but a lifeline for many.
He called the vote “a very strong statement from the Senate.”
The move kicked off the Senate’s deliberation on a new budget which is likely to be a pared down version of the governor’s budget but not as draconian as the House version due to slightly better revenue projections from April.
“I want the people of the state of New Hampshire to know we heard what you said and that you identified things that are important to you that need to be in the budget,” said Senate President Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, a member of the committee.
Sen. Howard Pearl, R-Loudon, said he wanted to echo the sentiments of Senator Watters about Medicaid noting it “is very clear that this is a very good program. This clearly needs to be returned and those rates need to stay the way they are.” He said among the hard decisions coming up this is one that was easy.
Sen. James Gray, R-Rochester, noted that the committee will be taking many, many votes but it was important to kick off the decision making with these votes.
Sen. Cindy Rosenwald, D-Nashua, said she was in the House of Representatives when the state ended the developmental disabilities wait list “and what a joyous and important moment that was that was a long time coming from the closure of the Laconia State School to the end of the waitlist. So, I think this is a really important amendment and I thank you for bringing it.”
Carson said she too was in the House with Rosenwald when the state ended the developmental disabilities wait list.
“It was a good day when that happened. We have taken individuals that were quite frankly marginalized for very long and they have become active, contributing members of our society. And that is what we want. That is really what we want. As a parent of a disabled adult, I know how difficult it can be for disabled individuals to navigate our world. This helps them, and it is important not only for them but for their families,” she said.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, said Wednesday that restoration for Medicaid provider rates was a top priority for her.
When she met with reporters on Wednesday, Ayotte said her budget director was very tuned in on the public hearing throughout the day and her takeaway was “my budget is a lot better and I think many areas that the House cut, mental health, disability the three percent cut when it comes to Medicaid rates, those are all issues that in my budget we funded them.”
The House had passed what could have been a $52.5 million savings over two years by cutting Medicaid provider rates by 3 percent and had also proposed a reduction of $68 million for the developmental disabilities wait list and the mental health programs.