Although 24 cost-cutting proposals were on the table at the end of the first day of the commission meeting, when the commission came back the second day, they were presented with a “Chairman's Mark” list of six measures, which totaled an estimated $10.3 billion-$11.1 billion in savings over 5 years.
“We sat out here in the lobby” and took input from members as they came and went, Mr. Sundquist said. The list was approved in its entirety after several attempts to amend it were voted down.
At its next meeting, scheduled for late October, the commission will begin the second phase of its work: making recommendations for long-term restructuring of the Medicaid system.
For information on the Medicaid Commission go to www.cms.hhs.gov/faca/mc/details.asp