State Democrats Launch Medicaid Counterattack

DENVER (AP) - Colorado Democrats looking for ways to save money on health care without kicking people off Medicaid have announced plans to ask for a pilot study to find efficiencies.

House Democrats said Tuesday that they'll have a bill to overhaul how doctors are paid to treat the needy. Exploding Medicaid costs in Colorado and other states have made budget-writers desperate to trim costs.

Democrats in Colorado are trying to counter Republican plans to seek federal waivers that could possibly reduce services covered by Medicaid. Democrats have insisted they won't consider plans to curb services or eligibility for the Medicaid entitlement. They say that cost savings from such cuts would be short-lived.

Democrats couldn't say how much their Medicaid plan would save. They said to expect more details in coming weeks.

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