The Department of Human Services came under fire from republican members of a legislative oversight committee Tuesday for a budget move. At issue is the transfer of 15-million dollars from what’s called the “Senior Living Trust Fund” to cover an increase in Medicaid costs. D-H-S Medical Services Administrator Cathy Anderson says they had to transfer another four million dollars from other areas to meet the shortfall. Anderson says they’ve been doing more to pursue people for the program and the downturn in the economy Anderson says the state leaves it up to the department to cover any shortfall in the program, so she says moving the money was simply managing their budget.State representative David Millage, a republican from Bettendorf, thinks D-H-S kept the shortfall a secret, so there was no time to look at other funding options. Millage says the department knew there was going to be a problem in April, but failed to let legislators know before the special legislative session. Millage says the use of the fund was appropriate, but transfer of the living trust money was handled in the wrong way.D-H-S says 82-hundred more people than expected signed up for the government health care program, but the rate of increase now appears to be leveling off.
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