The Wyoming Department of Health is facing budget cuts of five percent, following the denial of two budget items by the legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee last month. The department asked the J-A-C to replace 48 million dollars that was lost after federal budget money ran out.
The funding was for mandatory Medicaid and mandatory emergency health detention costs.
With the denial, Department of Health Director Tom Forslund says his office is looking at some major cuts.
“Everything’s on the table and that may include how much we reimburse providers for services, whole programs, as well as operating costs for our facilities.”
Forslund says he has to make these cuts while also following a J-A-C directive and find reductions of up to four percent for each of the next two years.