Is NY next?

Next week, the newly elected governor of NY will present his budget to the state legislature. The hot topic of the budget … health care (what else?).

According to The New York Times article, "Spitzer to Outline Plans for Cuts in Health Spending," some key points that will be discussed:

• ensure "Medicaid dollars are used for Medicaid patients" (who would have thought otherwise, right?)
• "cut or eliminate the annual inflation adjustment to Medicaid payments to hospitals/nursing homes"
• revamping the way hospitals and nursing homes nearly $500 million/yr for workforce recruitment.
• creating a new office of long-term care
• getting "cheaper prices when the state buys drugs, possibly by centralizing purchasing in a single entity and also by seeking to change the way prices are negotiated.'"

Will Gov. Spitzer follow Gov. Schwarzenegger's example and introduce universal health coverage (If not now, maybe in the coming years)?

We can only wait and see/listen.