Budget Cut Effects

The Effects of Budget Cuts on Healthcare and Education.

The fields of healthcare and education affect almost everyone. The odds of seeking medical care at some point in time are high, and most individuals will receive some form of education. In Louisiana alone, Governor Jindal’s proposed budget will cut millions of dollars from education and healthcare. Although these cuts are necessary to reduce the national budget deficit, they will have devastating financial effects on both systems. In the healthcare arena, the budget cuts will reduce Medicaid reimbursement and reduce or eliminate funding for many medical care programs. With regards to education, the cuts will reduce funding which will force schools to cut staff, eliminate
Programs that focus on literacy, teaching and learning may permanently lose any federal funds they have been receiving to cover operating costs. The loss of these programs would be devastating due to the fact that they cater to low-income families. There are also several federally funded programs that provide pre-school education to children of low-income families (Johnson). Public school students may also suffer from the cutbacks since programs such as music, art, etc. may need to be eliminated. Also, the lack of state funding for colleges would cause an increase in tuition and also lower amounts for Pell grants. LSU in Baton Rouge is looking into ways to increase tuition and fees. In 2009, Governor Jindal asked a committee for advice on how to cut $146 million for the 2010-2011 education budgets. This will most likely cause the elimination of certain academic degrees and programs (Bloom
Many of the elderly will find themselves without necessary resources, substandard nursing home care, and medical treatments that are no longer covered by Medicare. Low-income families will also lose access to preschool programs, literary programs, and medical treatment due to cuts in the Medicaid program. Students will notice increases in tuition and lower amounts in grants. This will make obtaining a college education more difficult or impossible for low-income students. The education budget cuts will also eliminate some degrees and programs, which will narrow the field of options. Although these cuts may be necessary to decrease the budget deficit, the targeted areas are unacceptable and alternative solutions should be considered. One possible solution may be to increase taxation of alcohol and tobacco and annual salaries larger than $250,000. If these changes are implemented, it will be a step in the right