Early Conferencing Shows House Inclined to Allocate More Money to Health Care

The House and Senate started their negotiations Tuesday morning on the Health Care and Health and Human Services budget. The House proposed adding $111.4 million to the budget than the Senate. The House budget is $28.3 million; the Senate's is $28.2 million. As discussions of changes continue this evening, lawmakers will debate whether to reduce funding of Medicaid reimbursements to pharmacies for prescription drugs, how to overhaul state Medicaid spending and whether to fund or eliminate state Healthy Start Coalitions.