1.   And why not limit that payment to save money, and do away with the basic federal entitlement of every eligible poor person to some basic assistance?

2.   But existing federal rules remain in place guaranteeing benefits to all eligible persons and imposing funding requirements and regulations upon the state.

3.   Clinton proposes keeping the Medicaid guarantee and limiting the annual increase in how much the federal government spends on a person eligible for Medicaid coverage.

4.   Instead of fixed grants to each state, the administration favors a capped amount that could be spent on each eligible person.

5.   Medicare also requires a small premium, which virtually every eligible person pays, for services other than hospital stays.

6.   Persons eligible for unemployment insurance benefits continue to get paid, even if a state fund becomes insolvent.

7.   Until now, Medicaid has been jointly financed by the states and the federal government, and is an entitlement program that covers every eligible person.

8.   Those eligible include anyone on duty or honorably discharged from any of the uniformed services, and any dependent of an eligible person.

9.   Arteaga, who did not attend the cabinet session, declared herself the only person constitutionally eligible to take over from Bucaram.

10.   Vice President Rosalia Arteaga accused Alarcon of seeking to lead a coup and insisted she was the only person constitutionally eligible to take over from Bucaram.