Stroger in Washington

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington lobbying to forestall implementation of Medicaid rules scheduled to take effect next month, a statement from Stroger's office said. If the new rules are put in place, public providers will see Medicaid payments cut by $5 billion nationally, the release said. The state has estimated that the rule will cut its Medicaid program by more than $255 million, and Cook County expects to lose more than $100 million in federal funding at a time when demand for services is growing, the statement said.