I am travelling to DC next week to draw attantion to a series of Medicaid Rules Changes proposed by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). I have previously diaried one of the Rules Changes on e Pluribus Media here and my proposed action here. I will be diarying the issue again one more time prior to leaving for DC. It should appear on an epm station in your hometown (as well as your state's progressive blog site) within the next 48 hours.

Now, I need to ask for some help from you. I plan to drop in, cameraman in tow, to several less than friendly MSM offices while I am in DC to ask them why they are not covering this story. Is there a lawyer in the house who can help me if I either get arrested, or if my camcorder is confiscated? I am not wealthy and so I must ask for your pro bono assistance if at all possible.

In early December, I diaried a proposed Medicaid Rules change, which, if it goes into effect in May as scheduled, will result in draconian cuts to public and teaching hospitals. This is a non-partisan issue: the US v. the Bush Administration. Representatives Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Sue Myrick (R-NC) have introduced HR 3533, the Preserve Our Public and Teaching Hospitals Act into the house to block the odious rules change. Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)have attemtped to introduce a moratorium on the rule in the senate.

Unfortunately, the good guys have not been able to muster the votes to extend an existing moratorium on the rules change, which would spare our frayed public health care infrastructure a possibly mortal blow for at least another year.