Legislative committee passes cuts to Medicaid

The Joint Finance Committee approved cuts along party lines to the state’s Medicaid program Wednesday, meaning an estimated 22,800 people would be denied coverage.

The proposal now goes to President Barack Obama’s administration, which must approve the plan before it is implemented.

Medicaid covers one in five Wisconsinites, providing poor families with doctor visits and senior care.

Originally, under a plan proposed by Gov. Scott Walker, 64,800 people would have been impacted. But the JFC made revisions to the original plan, which will save the state $36.5 million through June 2013. Even after Wednesday’s decision, the state’s Medicaid program faces a projected $128 million deficit.