Governor Pat Quinn has laid the cards on the table and now it's up to state lawmakers to deal them out.The lack of specifics is creating concerns for AARP. The governor's new budget proposes cutting more than two-and-a-half billion dollars from Medicaid but he wants a legislative working group to decide exactly how to do it. David Vinkler with AARP Illinois says the lack of specifics concerns him. He says this budget may need to be painful but he hopes in the end cost taxpayers more money too.
For example, Vinkler says, toughening up eligibility for Medicaid could backfire. He says a senior who only needs home-delivered meals and help with medications could wind up in a nursing home at a much higher cost than the cost of the services that had been cut.