AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Legislative leaders say they may have a solution to the current Medicaid budget problems before the end of next week.
The budget for the low income health insurance program is facing a $121 million dollar shortfall for this year, with another $100 million projected for 2013.
The Governor has been pressuring Legislators to fix the problems by February 1.
That date may have come and gone, but lawmakers say they're getting close. Members of the Appropriations Committee won't give out many details, but the top Democrat on the panel predicted they would resolve the 2012 budget problems "in a few days." However, the committee will then need to deal with the projected shortfall in the 2013 budget-which must also be balanced before lawmakers adjourn in April.
Senate President Kevin Raye told NEWS CENTER he believes members of both parties are working well together, and suggested the Appropriations Committee might even be able to complete the Medicaid budget before next week.
Says Raye," We have to do it because the running of state government depends on it." Governor Paul LePage has told lawmakers repeatedly that the state will run out of money for the Medicaid program by April 1 unless major changes are made to the budget.
However, since the details of the Appropriations Committee plan are still not settled, there is no word whether the Governor will support it. Democrats on the committee say they are pushing for changes in the Governor's original plan, which would cut about 65,000 people from Maine's huge Medicaid program. Rep. Peggy Rotundo (D-Lewiston) says democrats are also proposing to make some cuts in other parts of the state budget, instead of taking all t6he cuts in the Medicaid program. As of Friday afternoon, there was no comment from the Governor about that possibility.