Northwest Digest
Wash. delays charging Medicaid premiums
OLYMPIA - Medicaid clients in Washington state won't have to pay premiums until at least February, state officials announced Monday.
The Legislature and the governor earlier this year approved a plan to charge premiums ranging from $15 to $25 per child for families on Medicaid who make more than the federal poverty level. For a family of four, the federal poverty level is $18,400 a year. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health care coverage to the poor, elderly and disabled.
The premiums were supposed to start in January. But the state needs approval from the federal government first, and so far the feds haven't approved.
State officials say the sticking point is that the state wants to exempt American Indian and Alaska Native families from the premiums. The federal government is questioning the need for the exemption.
Because of government-to-government agreements between the tribes, the state and the federal government, those groups are already exempt from premiums on health programs for higher-income families.
"It does not make sense to exempt our highest-income American Indian and Alaska Native families from paying premiums, and then charge premiums to poorer American Indian and Alaska Native families," said Doug Porter, state Medicaid director. "That would be inequitable on its face."
Gov. Gary Locke has proposed reducing the premium amount to a maximum of $15, and scrapping it altogether for the poorest families.
Vice president visits base before fund-raiser
McCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. - On his way to raise money for Republican Rep. George Nethercutt's bid for the Senate, Vice President Dick Cheney had lunch with soldiers and airmen bound for Iraq, telling them he and President Bush "tremendously appreciate" what they do.
On his first visit to Washington since the 2000 campaign, Cheney handed out medals and praise before dining with troops at a base cafeteria.
Troops from McChord and nearby Fort Lewis have been involved in U.S. operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Cheney cited McChord's 62nd Airlift Wing for dropping 1,000 troops into northern Iraq.
Cheney presented medals to eight airmen. He pinned the bronze star on Air Force Maj. Brian S. Robinson for helping plan more than 1,400 air missions over Iraq, including the air drop.
Cheney also presented the Air Medal to the crew of a C-17 transport whose engine exploded Dec. 9 as they flew out of Baghdad. The crew managed to make an emergency landing and save the plane.
Monday evening, Cheney headlined a $500-a-plate dinner at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue hotel for Nethercutt, who is seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
Nethercutt, 58, was a Spokane attorney before toppling then-House Speaker Tom Foley for the congressional seat in 1994.