The American Health Care Association reacted strongly and
unfavorably to President Bush's fiscal year 2009 budget proposal, which was
released on Monday. The head of the group called the proposal "unreasonable and unrealistic."
"Through both the elimination of patients'
badly-needed Medicare market basket update and through what amounts to a
back-door attempt to cut Medicare funding through regulation, the President's
budget represents a double-whammy hit on the funding vital to ensure the continued
provision of quality care," says Bruce Yarwood, president and CEO of AHCA.
The president's proposed budget would cut more than $90
billion from the Medicare budget, and apply new regulations that he hopes would
decrease costs incurred by the program. These cuts would dramatically affect
seniors' access to quality medical care and services, providers say.