Medicaid meeting results in variety of suggestions

Raising co-payments, putting more effort into preventing fraud and raising the beer tax were just a few of the initial suggestions proposed Thursday at a town hall meeting on ways to eliminate a shortfall in the proposed budget for state health programs. Dennis Smith, secretary of the state Department of Health Services, and Kitty Rhoades, deputy secretary, are holding listening sessions throughout the state to gather ideas about how to find $600 million in savings over the next two years from the Medicaid programs. (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/15)