Health $ Elbow Out Kids, Cops and Trees

Just wanted to share a dramatic graph from a recent Boston Foundation report.

While the report focused on the money that is being sucked away from education, the graph above should raise big red flags on Beacon Hill about the stark increase in health care spending.

The report was followed by an investigative look into the Medicaid expansion that has taken place during the economic downturn. It will be over 30% of the Massachusetts budget next year.  State House News Service

Massachusetts taxpayers have delivered more revenue to the state Treasury nearly every month since October 2009, but the Patrick administration still faces a significant budget gap, largely because of soaring costs in the state Medicaid program.

It may be time for the state, for the long-term sustainability of the Medicaid program, to put together a global Medicaid waiver to the Federal government in order to gain greater flexibility for how it administers the program.