Gov. Gregoire�s statement on approval of Medicaid waiver

For Immediate Release: January 4, 2011

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on the Medicaid waiver signed yesterday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:

�I am very grateful to the staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services within the Department of Health and Human Services for their efforts to secure this waiver. They worked closely with my staff, were very understanding and cooperative, and kept in mind our budget challenges as they moved forward to completion.

�In the short-term, the state will be fortunate to receive federal help for programs that continue to be funded solely out of the state's general fund. However, our state�s fiscal crisis has grown since we originally asked for this waiver. Our options are limited, and we can no longer afford to support the safety net we once did. We will need to see if there are ways in the future to use this waiver.�