The states were in the hole long before the mandates of obamacare go into effect!

Medicaid and New York's Budget
The New York Times | by EDITORIAL BOARD | February 19, 2011

New York State spent more than $20 billion on Medicaid this fiscal year - or nearly a quarter of the total operating budget. With the state confronting a projected $10 billion deficit for next year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has little choice but to cut back the program. The challenge will be to do that in a way that causes the least possible harm to some of the state's most vulnerable citizens.
Mr. Cuomo’s new budget seeks to reduce the state’s share of Medicaid spending from a projected $20.8 billion to about $18 billion. That would trigger a loss in federal matching funds of about $2.7 billion, draining a total of more than $5.5 billion."
Read more: Medicaid and New York's Budget > Blog > State Budget Solutions

Judge allows cuts to Arizona's Medicaid program
Businessweek August 11, 2011

A judge ruled Wednesday that Gov. Jan Brewer can legally reduce enrollment in Arizona's Medicaid program to help balance the state budget.

The state has barred childless adults with incomes above the federal limit for Medicaid from either enrolling for the first time or re-enrolling in the state program. The partial enrollment freeze would save the state a projected $207 million this year.

Public-interest law firms sued on behalf of low-income Arizonans, arguing that the eligibility reductions, especially the one for childless adults, violate state constitutional protections for voter-approved laws.

Brewer and other state officials contend the cuts are necessary to protect other vital state services that have been devastated by decreased revenue, and that the 2000 law hinged on the availability of funding.

Read more: Judge allows cuts to Arizona's Medicaid program > Publications > State Budget Solutions

Medicaid Madness
by BOB WILLIAMS | February 7, 2011

The federal government has long created unfunded mandates for states to deal with; programs required by law that states must fund themselves. Though the federal government provides some Medicaid funds via matching rates, this welfare program has been taking up a larger and larger share of state budgets in recent years.

As state legislators face budge pressure from all sides-lower revenues, depleted reserves, and enormous liabilities-they are coming to a head with federal lawmakers over Medicaid. Governors in several states have already begun to roll back Medicaid coverage, while others are seeking waivers from new provisions in the new health care law. The results of these challenges to the federal program will have a big impact on state budgets for years to come.

Health & Human Services Secretary Kathlessn Sebelius urged states to find savings by charging higher copayments for some services; limiting certain benefit, managing high-cost patients more efficiently, squeezing drug costs, and cracking down on improper payments.

Latest budget projections

Arizona: $763.6 million shortfall through June 30, 2011 and another $1.2 billion for FY 2011. Governor's Budget. January 2011
California: $25.4 billion through June 2012. Foxnews.com. 1/22/11
Colorado: $1.5 billion. Denver Post. NPR.1/12/11
Connecticut: $3.67 billion. The CT Mirror.1/25/11
Delaware:$216.4 million. Delawareonline.com 1/28/11
Florida: Budget shortfall of $3.6 billion for FY 2011-12.FoxNews.com. 2/1/11
Georgia:$1-2 billion.The Moultrie Observer. 1/8/11
Hawaii: $71 million (FY 2010-11); $771 million (FY 2011-13).KITV.com. 12/20/10
Idaho: $185 million between now and June 30, 2012.Idahopress.com. 1/28/11
Illinois: $13 billion (FY 2010-11) WSJ.1/12/11
Iowa: $700 million (FY 2011-12). Bloomberg.com. 12/22/10
Kansas: $550 million (FY 2011-12). Kansascity.com. 1/5/11
Louisiana: $1.6 billion FOX 8. 12/30/10
Maine: $840 million.The Portland Press Herald. 11/27/10
Maryland: $1.3 billion (FY 2011-12) Afro.com. 1/27/11
Massachusetts: Budget shortfall of up to $1.5 billion. Masslivecom. 1/17/11
Michigan: Up to a $1.85 billion shortfall for FY 2011-12. WNEM.com. 12/28/10
Minnesota: Senate passed $930 million budget fix to solve part of $6 billion shortfall. Bloomberg.com. 2/3/11
Mississippi:$634 million. Thegovmonitor.com. 11/16/10
Missouri: $1 billion. Kansas City Business Journal. 8/5/10
Montana: $388 million (FY 2011-12). Bloomberg Businessweek. 10/8/10
Nebraska: More than $1 billion (FY 2011-13) Action3news.com. 1/6/11
Nevada: $2.9 billion. Las Vegas Sun. 1/5/11
New Hampshire: $800 million. Sentinelsource.com.9/22/10
New Jersey: $10.5 billion (FY 2011-12).Blogs.APP.Com. 7/22/10
New Mexico:$452 million. Bloomberg Busineeweek.com.11/11/10.
New York:$9 billion NY Times. 1/1/11
North Carolina: $3.7 billion (FY 2011-12) Newsobserver.com. 1/1/11
Ohio: $4-8 billion (FY 2011-13)Ohio.com. 1/1/11
Oklahoma:$600 million (FY 2011-12) Sunshine Review.org.
Oregon: $3.5 billion (FY 2011-13). NRToday.11/23/10
Pennsylvania: $4-5 billion (FY 2011-12). The Philadelphia Inquirer. 12/17/10
Rhode Island:$365 million (FY 2011-12)). WPRI.com. 11/10/10
South Carolina: $829 million (FY 2011-12). GoUPstate.com. 1/7/11
South Dakota: $32 million shortfall for FY 2011 and $107 million for FY 2012.Yankton press. 1/30/10
Tennessee: $1 billion. WSMV.com. 1/31/11
Texas: $15 billion. Chron.com. 1/18/11
Utah: $700 million. KCPW. 12/11/10
Vermont: $112 million (FY 2012-13).5WPTZ.com. 8/22/10
Virginia: $200 million (FY 2011-12). WashingtonExaminer.com. 12/17/10
Washington: Senate Democrats and Republicans proposed a plan to address $394 million of the $550 million state budget shortfallfor the current year (FY 2010-11) by a combination of budget cuts and raiding money from other dedicated funds. Seattle Times.2/2/11
West Virginia: $150 -$160 million (FY 2011-12). Charleston Gazette. 6/7/10
Wisconsin: State faces $79- $340 million state budget shortfall (FY 2010-11) and $3.2 billion (FY 2011-12).Bloomberg.com. 1/31/11


Read more: Medicaid Madness > Blog > State Budget Solutions