Health care a big budget issue for Minn., Va. lawmakers

Lower health spending because of slower Medicaid enrollment growth is good news for Minnesota's budget. In Virginia, however, Democrats say a GOP budget doesn't spend enough on health care.

(Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) Pioneer Press: State's Budget Gains Tied To Lower Health Care Spending
Health care costs usually are budget breakers. So, it was a bit of a surprise last week when state officials said a key driver of Minnesota's improved budget outlook was lower-than-expected health spending. The state had been projecting that about 90,000 low-income adults without children would sign up over a two-year period for health insurance coverage through the state's Medicaid program. But officials have cut the estimate by 8,000 because enrollment among those beneficiaries has been lower than expected. The change explains a big chunk of the $230 million reduction in projected expenses that state officials announced last week (Snowbeck, 3/4).

Stateline:  Budget Deadlock Intensifies In Virginia Legislature
Earlier this week, Democrats in the state Senate rejected the spending plan supported by Republicans, leaving the state with no budget bills on which the two sides can negotiate with just days left in the session. … Democrats say the GOP budget does not invest enough money into education, health care and other services (Gramlich, 3/2).