Doctors' group lauds plan for health coverage

Gov. Chris Gregoire got warm applause from a state doctors' group Monday despite proposing far less than the $850 million doctors sought in additional funding for low-income care such as Medicaid and Healthy Options.

Gregoire told members of the Washington State Medical Association attending a yearly legislative assembly in Olympia that her budget puts $2.4 billion into badly needed education-system upgrades that will help the state compete globally.

She also noted that she is putting in $60 million to cover an additional 32,000 children in low-income homes with health insurance. Along with that, Gregoire said, she is putting in extra money - $29 million - for higher reimbursements for doctors who take children in the Medicaid and other subsidized programs.

"The fact of the matter is there is limited money in the budget, and I ran out of money," Gregoire told the doctors at the Red Lion Hotel Olympia.

Dr. W. Hugh Maloney, president of the association, said later he personally approves of Gregoire's work on education, health care and transportation, and he appreciated what money was put into the budget. But he also said he wished "there had been more balance" in the budget to help on medical costs.

The association has said that more doctors are refusing to take Medicaid and other state-­subsidized patients.