House Passes BP Oil Settlement Raid to Prop Up Medicaid

Wednesday, August 17, 2016, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a plan to take the BP oil settlement revenue stream and sell it to investors for one time money. This scheme would prop up the troubled Alabama Medicaid program for another year and allow Alabama Governor to implement his vaunted Regional Care Organizations (RCOs), pay off some of the money that the State legislature has raided from the Alabama Trust Fund, and give South Alabama some much fought for road improvements.

State Representative Wil Ainsworth (R-Guntersville) said, “The House has done its part to find a solution. We just passed the BP bill. It will repay $161 million to the Rainy day fund, $287 million to the Alabama Trust Fund, will fund Medicaid, and will direct $191 million to Baldwin and Mobile counties for Hwy. 98 and Beach Express project which will help with tourism.”

State Representative Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City) announced, “HB 36 has passed which provides for the allocation of BP monies.”

State Representative Christopher John England (D-Tuscaloosa) said, “The BP bill will set aside some money to deal with the current shortfall in Medicaid. We passed that bill on to the Senate today.”

Read more: http://www.alreporter.com/house-passes-bp-oil-settlement-raid-to-prop-up-medicaid/