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Seeing better, hearing, and eating may soon become more difficult for thousands of Floridians on Medicaid. As Whitney Ray tells us, state lawmakers want health services to bare a third of the brunt of budget cuts.

Hear it here: Proposed Cuts Keep Thousands of Seniors from Affording Dentures, Glasses

Several times a week these pool sharks get together to knock around a few balls. Some of them couldn’t enjoy the crack of the cue striking the 11 or watch a shot drop into the corner pocket without Medicaid paying for their glasses or hearing aids.

“A lot of elderly folks can’t afford it,” said Bruce Boone, a Medicaid user.

Lawmakers want to save 32 million dollar by cutting a Medicaid program that pays for glasses, hearing aids, and dentures. Mary Smith has been paying into Medicaid for decades. She needs dentures and fear the cuts will leave her eating soup. Medicaid isn’t the only program on the chopping block. Lawmakers are also looking at cutting metal health services, providing less funding for county health departments, and eliminating the state’s only hospital for tuberculosis patients. Representative Luis Garcia says the proposed cuts are atrocious and should send a message to his colleagues across the isles.

“The last time it rained this hard Noah built an arc,” said Garcia.

Garcia wants to dip into the state’s four billion dollar rainy day fund. Democrats say the cuts wouldn’t be so sever if corporations paid their fair share. Sunday the state House will release its budget cut proposals on its website at www.myfloridahouse.com.