7:16 am Fri April 20, 2012  Doctors, GOP don't like Governor's
proposed Medicaid cuts  Republican lawmakers have criticized
parts of Gov. Pat Quinn's plan to close a $2.7 billion gap in
Illinois' Medicaid program, which includes a $1 per pack
increase in Illinois’ cigarette tax.   And doctors say Quinn's
proposed cuts to reimbursement rates for medical services would
be devastating.  Laura Shea, president of the Sangamon County
Medical Society, says doctors already get less money from the
state for treating public aid patients than they do for patients
with private insurance.  "There are doctors who don't take
public aid; it's very common," Shea said, "or they limit how
many they take. So it's hard for a patient on public aid to get
the care that they need."  She says cutting reimbursements
further could push more doctors to limit or turn away patients
on public aid.  The governor has maintained that the state's
program to provide health care for the poor must be stabilized
to keep from spiraling out of contr