Georgie wishes all them poor folk's kids

A bah humbug:

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - President George Bush went forward with a rule on Friday that removed administrative and costs for low-income, special education students from being reimbursed through Medicaid, despite strong opposition from lawmakers and school boards nationwide.

The new rule issued by the White House would save the federal government an estimated $3.6 billion over the next five years by limiting costs states are allowed to reimburse under Medicaid to medical services such as physical therapy and medicines for immunizations. Administrative costs, such as those for transporting handicapped students, will no longer be covered.

Federal auditors this year said Medicaid, a health program for low-income families and people with disabilities that is jointly funded by the federal government and states, was overbilled by states for services between 2002 and 2004.

The review in Maryland concluded that schools had overbilled the federal government by $32.8 million on costs that were educational and not medical. States have questioned the findings, saying the methodology of the review was flawed.

The National School Board Association (NSBA) has argued that the rule would cause schools to lose millions worth of Medicaid reimbursements for services that are: "Critically important for ensuring that schools are able to link children to eligible medical services, identify students who may need medical screening and evaluations, and work with the community to provide referral services for children and their families."

It's nice to have a clear illustration about what a compassionate conservative is.