Avoid Medicaid cuts

The Post-Crescent, Appleton, Wis.: The Medicaid picture in Wisconsin seems to be improving in light of news that the projected shortfall has improved by $300 million.

The shortfall in Medicaid, which pays for programs such as BadgerCare, SeniorCare and Family Care, improved because of lower-than-expected enrollment increases and a drop in costs per enrollee. The program went from being $554 million short in September to $232 million now.

But that improvement doesn’t seem to be changing the Walker administration’s cost-savings plan, which could mean a loss in coverage for about 65,000 adults and children.

As the administration continues the ongoing process of finding savings, we hope it’s a measure of last resort to drop any number of Wisconsinites from these important programs.

While it might be necessary to trim expenses, actually eliminating coverage for poor people should be avoided.

The poor need the assistance. In fact, a state Legislative Fiscal Bureau analysis shows that nearly half of the 65,000 people who could lose their coverage are children. That shouldn’t be the case.

Groups and lawmakers are asking the administration to rethink the cuts and to find other ways to find savings in Medicaid programs.

The federal government still has to approve the cost-savings plan, so it could be altered. We hope it is.

The needs of the state’s poor people aren’t going away. We can’t turn our backs on them.