Democrats Refuse Medicaid Panel Seats

Democratic lawmakers said Thursday that they would not be part of a commission to recommend how to trim Medicaid by $10 billion over the next five years.

The Bush administration estimates that the states and the federal government, which jointly finance Medicaid, will spend $1.9 trillion on the program during the next five years.

Medicaid, which provides healthcare for more than 52 million low-income people, is the largest healthcare program in the nation.

Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt announced the framework of the congressionally mandated commission last week. The administration will appoint the 15 voting members.

Republican lawmakers were invited to designate four lawmakers to serve as nonvoting members.

Democrats were invited to do the same.

But Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco said that they would not accept a nonvoting role for lawmakers.

“Unfortunately, the partisan nature of the commission and the lack of voting rights are not our only reasons for refusing to appoint members,” the two lawmakers added in a prepared statement.

“We fundamentally disagree with the premise that this commission should make recommendations on how to cut Medicaid outlays by $10 billion by Sept. 1.”

The senior Democrats on the congressional committees overseeing Medicaid also declined to participate.

Health and Human Services spokesman Craig Stevens responded: “Naturally, Secretary Leavitt is disappointed by this decision from congressional Democrats, but it does not deter his commitment to have a fair, balanced and open commission, and he will continue to seek input and ideas from all points of view.”

Last month, Congress narrowly passed a budget blueprint that included a $10 billion reduction in Medicaid. The changes are to begin in 2007, giving the commission and the nation’s governors time to recommend ways to cut costs.