Jim Nussle: “Since 1995, let us be very clear about this, since 1995 Medicaid spending has grown 95 percent, a 95 percent increase.…”

“Since 1995, let us be very clear about this, since 1995 Medicaid spending has grown 95 percent, a 95 percent increase. The average increase was 7.7 percent per year. Federal Medicaid outlays increased from $108 billion in 1999, as an example, to $173 billion this year, an average of 10 percent a year just since 1999 alone. Federal SCHIP, that is the program for kids that has been mentioned here, spending grew from $1.4 billion in 1999 to an estimated $4.8 billion this year, an average annual increase, listen to this now because we are hearing from the other side that Medicaid is being cut, and I want you to listen to this number for kids, an average annual increase of 27 percent, 27 percent. It is mind-boggling to me how we can be talking about cuts at a time when we are increasing at 27 percent for SCHIP and 95 percent over the last 10 years for Medicaid.”