Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Governors: GOP Medicaid Plan Shifts Significant Cost To States, Provides Almost No New Flexibility
Four Republican governors have announced their opposition to the House GOP legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act, another sign of the political challenges facing the bill. (Hackman, 3/17)
In a letter Thursday, governors from Ohio, Nevada, Michigan and Arkansas wrote Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan and said the legislation the House is considering 鈥渄oes not ensure the resources necessary to make sure no one is left out, and shifts significant new costs to states.鈥 They said the bill 鈥渄oes not meet鈥 goals set out by President Donald Trump about state flexibility and making sure people are covered. (Edney and Tracer, 3/17)
The governors for months have cautioned their party about passing legislation that would lead to major coverage losses in their states, and their opposition could present a new challenge for the bill. The letter comes as House Republican leaders are increasingly optimistic their bill could win support from conservatives who've complained the GOP plan doesn't do enough to gut Obamacare. (Pradhan, 3/17)
The future of Medicaid could become a pivotal issue as the health care debate moves to the Senate. Kevin Smith, a spokesman for Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said his boss "shares (governors') concerns about the need to protect the Medicaid expansion population and give governors more flexibility to ensure they can design programs that meet the needs of their states." (3/18)
