Calling on Governor Edward G. Rendell to rescind the drastic proposed cuts in the Department of Welfare's Medical Assistance Program.

WHEREAS

, Over 400,000 individuals in Philadelphia are currently receiving Medicaid Services from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare; and

WHEREAS

, All of these individuals count on Medicaid to deliver physical and mental health services, as well as visits to their doctors and various out-patients services; and

WHEREAS

, Many of these 400,000 named individuals are currently having a very difficult time seeing a specialist for a host of highly specialized services; and

WHEREAS

, These same persons are also having to battle for their current prescriptions issued by their doctors, by attending appeals hearings, and the highly reported and cumbersome special exceptions process; and

WHEREAS

, Governor Edward G. Rendell in his budget address of February 9, 2005, has proposed massive cuts to the poorest of the poor population of our city, which will cause indescribable damage to many persons who are suffering from many diseases and illnesses, especially persons with disabilities, the elderly, people with AIDS and many others; and

WHEREAS

, These proposed cuts will limit the number of prescriptions to (6) six per month that individuals with severe medical complications will be able to receive, and force them into a hugely bureaucratic special exceptions process, and further limit these folks to two hospitalizations per year; now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PHILADELPHIA, THAT

we urge Governor Edward G. Rendell to rescind drastic cuts in the Department of Welfare's Medical Assistance Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOVED, THAT

a copy of this Resolution be forwarded to the Governor and to all members of the Pennsylvania House and Senate.

End