MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said Monday that he will veto a general fund budget lawmakers are expected to approve this week over what he called an “unacceptable” appropriation for Medicaid.
The Alabama Senate on Tuesday is expected to give final approval to a budget that is $85 million short of the amount Bentley says is needed to adequately fund the state’s Medicaid program.
“Legislators just don’t understand it, and I don’t think they want to,” Bentley said during a press conference in Monroeville to highlight problems with rural broadband and health care access.
Bentley, a dermatologist who maintains his medical license, called the disconnect between medical providers and legislators “frustrating” and said lawmakers misunderstand the program.
“They (legislators) think there’s a lot of fraud and abuse – I hear that all the time,” Bentley said. “It’s as bare bones as you can possibly get. It’s children, the elderly, pregnant women and the disabled. Able-bodied people don’t get it.”