BY MAURICE WILLIAMS
The Clinton administration proposed April 8 to cut an additional $18 billion from Medicare, the government health program for the elderly and disabled. This would amend the five-year budget plan Clinton presented to Congress on February 6, which called for cuts of $100 billion from Medicare and $22 billion from Medicaid, which provides health care to low-income families.

At his January inauguration, the president said he would compromise with Republican politicians, who were pressing for slashing the entitlement by $158 billion over six years. Instead, Clinton will cut funds by $138 billion.

Meanwhile, under the pretext of providing health coverage for children who are now uninsured, eight Republican senators announced April 8 they would back a bill hiking cigarette taxes by 43 cents a pack - nearly tripling the regressive levy.

The proceeds would supposedly provide $20 billion a year in grants to states to buy insurance for low-income children, a hefty boon to the insurance industry. Clinton has previously promoted similar schemes.

While the big-business politicians hail the measure, it would "probably not reach all 10.5 million children who now lack health insurance (including 3 million eligible for Medicaid who are not enrolled)," the New York Times reported April 9.  
 
 
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