It appears Governor Matt Blunt is offering no hope to Medicaid recipients who have lost funding for wheelchair batteries and Nebulizers, among other things. Nebulizers are devices that deliver medicine to people with lung ailments. Funding for those things was cut off by the Legislature last year. Bolivar pharmacist Brady Vestal has told the Senate Appropriations Committee the actions create inconsistencies and – instead of saving money -increase costs. He says people are still allowed to get Nebulizers – in emergencies. The trouble is: the state has no definition of “emergency.” He has asked the Senate Appropriations Committee to put money in the state budget to straighten out the problems with Medicaid.
