Disagreement over Healthcare Proposal Could cost Bay State $385 Million in Federal Funds
       After heralding a breakthrough in the stalled healthcare bill last week, legislators acknowledged yesterday that the impasse on the current healthcare proposal was still not breached, putting the $385 Million in Federal Medicaid assistance back in jeopardy.
       Key conferees in the House-Senate panel trying to hash out a health care reform bill Monday said the two sides hadn’t made enough progress over the weekend to be confident of an imminent compromise.  A healthcare proposal must be in place by July 1, or Massachusetts will lose the Medicaid assistance funds.
       “It’s not impossible that we’d have something this week, but I’d say that would be the most optimistic forecast,” said Sen. Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge), co-chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. After hyping a vague agreement on March 3, the two sides have continued to try to forge a bill that would salvage $385 million in federal Medicaid assistance.
       Making it even more unlikely that an accord will be reached is the fact that there has been no formal session scheduled this week to debate the issue.   Therese Murray, D-Plymouth, who is one of the primary conferees on the committee, apparently scheduled a trip to Ireland today.   
        House and Senate leaders said their plan will make health insurance mandatory for individuals and require employers who do not offer health insurance to begin contributing to the overall health care tab.  Critics of the plan recogize that any plan that penalizes businesses in Massachusetts in such a way will be a disincentive for businesses to stay in the state.