Opinion: Much-needed Medicaid waivers

George W. Bush has been on a tear since inauguration, hastily trashing policies years in the making on matters ranging from abortion to the environment. But there's at least one area in which the new president has correctly assessed the need for speed: Medicaid waivers. Bush and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson deserve credit for expediting Florida's waiver requests, which were stagnating before they took office.

The approvals, announced last week, give Florida officials two things they have long sought: more federal funds in the short run, and more freedom from Washington bureaucrats in the long run. With the waivers, Florida plans to pay $143-million more to hospitals that serve the poor and uninsured, put an extra $15-million into facilities for elderly and disabled individuals and fund a $1-million pilot mail-order project for beneficiaries with diabetes. The infusion does not solve the budget crunch caused by Florida's Medicaid shortfall; lawmakers had already counted on the new money. But it certainly brings a sense of relief with the recognition that, but for a stroke of the federal pen, this year's budget stress in Tallahassee could have been worse.

More broadly, the expedited approvals signal a new era of flexibility that can only benefit Florida in the future. Waivers are important tools of policy, exempting states from cumbersome federal regulations and allowing them to customize their Medicaid programs in innovative ways to serve their citizens better. Thompson, a former governor familiar with the need for waivers as well as the long-running problems in obtaining them, is well positioned to streamline the process. He is reportedly close to approving four other Florida requests representing an additional $32-million in federal funds.

Despite their elation, some lawmakers groused that Florida would not have gained such quick approval were the governor's brother not in the White House. Perhaps. But what we know for sure is that Florida needed the approvals -- and the president had to start somewhere.

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright