Iowa House Republicans have crafted a plan to restore red ink in the state Medicaid budget. House speaker Brent Siegrist concedes the bill resembles democrat Governor Tom Vilsack’s plan. Siegrist says it moves money from the senior living trust fund and the tobacco fund, some federal money and a couple cuts in Medicaid he says shouldn’t cost many significant services.It totals 62-million and covers the shortfall without cutting payments to nursing homes, hospitals or other care. Speaker Siegrist says none of it is “new” money, but it includes a lot of “shifting” of funds that already exist. The plan’s for only the current fiscal year, and Siegrist concedes next year’s shortfall will require 93-million to make up, but he says the current measure will have broad bipartisan support, and he expects it to be passed out of the house and move to the senate fairly soon.
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