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Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, issued the following statement denouncing the Bush administration's new Medicaid regulations that were announced today by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
"I opposed these provisions when we were debating the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and I oppose them now. The Bush administration is trying to sell the states on flexibility, but what they are really offering is simply an illusion of choice.
"The real impact of these policies will be fewer services and higher prices for millions of low-income families who rely on Medicaid for their health care needs. At a time when our economy is suffering and more Americans may become eligible for Medicaid, we should be looking for ways to bolster the program, not weaken it by scaling back benefits and shifting costs."
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