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Students, professors discuss fate of Medicaid in state, U.S.

Students, professors and concerned citizens packed into Sheldon Auditorium last night to hear about "The Fate of Medicaid."

The University Forum on Health Policy presented the program. The forum's director, Prof. Marilyn Rosenthal, discussed the forum and the importance of Medicaid.

"We are a non-partisan and educational forum," Rosenthal said. "We identify major health policy issues and we try to bring the best people in the country to the University."

Last night's program addressed "the future of health care for the poor and all the incredible challenges that the states are facing to make that care truly high quality," she said.

Allen Jensen, senior research scientist at George Washington University, presented an overview of the Medicaid program.

"It is a very major program as far as dealing with low-income people in the country," Jensen said. "It serves a very diverse population. In 1993, 32.1 million people were enrolled and 50 percent were children."

The director of Michigan Medical Services Administration, Vernon Smith, said Medicaid is an important health program.

"Medicaid pays for about two out of three Americans living in poverty," Vernon said. "Forty-four percent of all (newborn) deliveries were paid by Medicaid this year."

Smith warned that Medicaid is increasing in terms of its enrollment.

"The program has been increasing very, very rapidly. At the rate things are going, Medicaid will be 30 percent of this state's budget by the year 2000," Smith said. "Funding for higher education is going down. K-12 education is going down. Medicaid is getting to be known as the Pacman of the state budgets."

Smith said the fiscal year 1997 budget assumes federal Medicaid reform will be enacted.

"These changes may be the most significant changes in the Medicaid program since its enactment," he said.

Audience members had mixed reactions to the presentation.

"He (Smith) could sell tobacco," said Christine Hildebrand, an Ypsilanti resident. "They have memorized speeches very well, but when you question them it's different. I'm 69 and I know we need federal mandates. One should be able to have good health care anywhere in the U.S. -- period. I don't like managed care and I wouldn't want it for myself."

Donna Hill, a senior at the University's Dearborn campus, said the forum was very informative.

"I thought it was really helpful since I have a concentration in health studies," Hill said. "It brought light to the current issues that our generation will be dealing with."

Janet Boyd, who was previously head of the nursing department at Eastern Michigan University, said she enjoyed the presentation.

"Generally, the speakers were excellent," Boyd said. "I was not aware of the wide groups of the population which Medicaid serves."