July 11, 2005

MEDICAID COMMISSION NAMED BY SECRETARY LEAVITT LACKS BALANCE
By Leighton Ku and Victoria Wachino

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On Friday, July 8, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt named the members of his new Medicaid Commission, which is designed both to make recommendations by September 2005 on how to cut $10 billion from Medicaid funding and to make longer-term recommendations regarding Medicaid by December 2006.  The membership of the commission appears to substantially unbalanced.  It does not reflect an appropriate and diverse range of views concerning health care policy and the needs of Medicaid beneficiaries. 

The voting members of the Commission include:

The Commission’s non-voting members include:

Absent from the voting members of the commission are people representing the interests of low-income children, families or senior citizens.