September 01,2005

Statement of U.S. Senator Max Baucus on Medicaid Commission Recommendations

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) U.S. Senator Max Baucus issued the following statement after the BushAdministration’s Medicaid Commission released its recommendations for the Medicaid program.As ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Baucus has played a lead role inprotecting the Medicaid program from proposed budget cuts. The statement follows:

“I am working with Chairman Grassley to find agreement on a $10 billion budgetreconciliation package, which the Finance Committee must report by September 16. While Idon’t believe that all those savings should come from Medicaid, I believe some of thecommission’s ideas have merit, and may warrant consideration in that bill. I’m also heartenedthat the commission did not recommend a number of proposals which, in my view, may haveharmed Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to care.”