By the Hair of Their Chinny-Chin-Chin

By a 217 to 215 margin, the House voted in favor of a budget plan designed to save about $50 billion over the next five years.

As is always the give-and-take associated with negotiations, Republican leaders consented to delete a clause that would have raised co-payments to $5 for Medicaid recipients with incomes under the poverty level. Another provision was modified to raise the home equity limit for those trying to qualify for Medicaid nursing home benefits to $750,000. They also agreed to abandon efforts to allow oil drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.

Remaining intact in the House’s version are the controversial provisions pertaining to changes in asset transfer rules – specifically increasing the “look back” period to five years and modifying the date eligibility starts from when a gift is made to when one becomes eligible and begins receiving services.

Although each house of Congress has passed a version of the budget bill, developing a budget plan acceptable enough to insure passage by both may prove to be quite a challenge.

Source: WashingtonPost.com, 11-18-05 &
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