As the outlook for the economy continues to look bleak, many states are tightening the belts...which means cutting programs. We have already written about Ohio's plan to services to as many as 56,000 children. Here are some more programs being cut by various other states.

Of course, the cuts mainly affect the poorer citizens.

At least 19 states have proposed or implemented cuts that will affect low-income children’s or families’ eligibility for health insurance or reduce their access to health care services. For example, Rhode Island eliminated health coverage for 1,000 low-income parents; South Carolina is limiting coverage for many services, such as psychological counseling, physicians visits, and routine physicals; and California and Utah are reducing the types of services covered by their Medicaid programs. Additionally, the governor in California has proposed cuts that, when fully phased in, would cause more than 400,000 adults to be denied health coverage.

And it isn't just the poor. Some states are screwing the elderly, too.

At least 17 states plus the District of Columbia are cutting medical, rehabilitative, home care, or other services needed by low-income people who are elderly or have disabilities, or significantly increasing the cost of these services. For example, Florida has frozen reimbursements to nursing homes and relaxed staffing standards, Nevada is making it harder for beneficiaries to qualify for nursing home care, and Rhode Island is requiring low-income elderly people to pay more for adult daycare. Arizona eliminated temporary health insurance for people with serious medical problems.

When the states aren't outright cutting programs, they are creating new hoops for people to jump through knowing the end result is that people won't use the programs.

Arizona is reducing its Medicaid rolls by increasing the frequency with which some adult recipients must reapply for benefits. (Research has shown such added paperwork requirements have the effect of causing eligible people to become uninsured.) Arizona has also cut funding for community health centers and vaccines.

Of course, somewhere in the wilderness, the Federal judges are still complaining about needed a raise. And clearly that would take precedence over providing health care for children.

Obviously the states need to make some cuts in their budgets as money is tight. But screwing the poor and the elderly isn't the way to do this. I know why there are doing it...because the poor and the elderly don't have a voice. They can be quietly screwed over and there is little to no backlash for the state government to deal with.

And while that may be true (unfortunately) that doesn't make it right.