Michigan Governor's Executive Order Budget Cuts Do Not Cut Payments to Medicai...( LANSING Mich. Dec. 10 -- News storie...),Health

LANSING, Mich., Dec. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- News stories this afternoon by some major Michigan newspapers' web sites contain unintentionally inaccurate information about Executive Order (EO) budget cuts proposed today by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Specifically, the stories mistakenly reported: "Another $5.3 million will be saved by cutting reimbursements to hospitals, physicians and nursing homes." In fact, the EO cuts do not reduce provider payments for health care treatment delivered to Medicaid patients.

"Medicaid is a complex program, so it is easy to see how this misinformation found its way into these and possibly other stories," said David Seaman, executive vice president of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. "However, health care services for Medicaid patients are protected and, in fact, are not reduced in the Executive Order cuts issued by the Governor. At this time, with Medicaid caseloads and uncompensated care skyrocketing, it is important that this inaccurate information be corrected, which is why we are issuing this statement."