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The House and Senate advanced competing budgets Wednesday, setting up what could be a weekslong showdown between the two chambers over Medicaid funding. The Senate's $80.4 billion spending plan is about $4.2 billion more than the House version. That's largely because the Senate includes a Medicaid expansion plan that draws $2.8 billion from the federal government and an alternative Low Income Pool program within Medicaid of $2.2 billion. ... Senate leaders pushed back against the House and advocacy groups such as Americans for Prosperity, which launched an ad campaign this week slamming senators for their support of Medicaid expansion. (Rohrer and Sweeney, 4/1)

As the state House and Senate considered their respective budget proposals on Wednesday, two of Florida’s top Democrats traveled to Tallahassee to keep the pressure on lawmakers to expand Medicaid. U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who also chairs the Democratic National Committee, said she had "direct conversations" with federal health care officials -- and that Florida shouldn't expect to have the $2.2 billion Low Income Pool program renewed unless it expands Medicaid. ... U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said he, too, was doubtful that the federal government would continue funding LIP. He said he met with House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, on Wednesday to make that point. (McGrory, 4/1)

Florida officials said late Wednesday that the federal government is suspending negotiations over the potential loss of more than $1 billion in money now flowing to the state's hospitals. The move comes at a critical time: The Florida Legislature is trying to finalize a new state budget between now and the end of the session on May 1. Senate Republicans have vowed that they will not vote for a budget if it requires large cuts to hospitals. (Fineout, 4/2)

A Republican-controlled House committee Tuesday night easily moved forward Gov. Bill Walker's bill to expand the public Medicaid health program, but the measure still has many more stops in the Legislature, including some in hostile territory. Six of the seven legislators on the House Health and Social Services Committee supported House Bill 148, a measure Walker introduced last month after the Legislature rejected his initial attempt to expand Medicaid using the state's annual budget package. (Herz, 4/1)

Governor Walker’s Medicaid Expansion bill has passed it’s first committee in the House. HB 148 was approved by the House Health and Social Services Committee Tuesday night with a 6 to 1 vote. The bill would allow the state to accept at least 145 million dollars in federal funds to provide health insurance to low income, childless adults. The federal government is funding 100% of expansion until the end of 2016, then the match gradually decreases to 90% in 2020. Four Republican lawmakers voted for it, but not Liz Vazquez. The Anchorage Republican says the committee didn’t hear enough expert testimony on how Medicaid expansion would impact the state budget. (Feidt, 4/1)

Kentucky’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Republican gubernatorial candidate James Comer said Monday in a press conference in Louisville President Barack Obama’s health care law was “the worst piece of legislation in my lifetime.” The lifelong Kentuckian and career farmer also unveiled a health care policy platform which assumed “Obamacare” would be something the next governor of Kentucky would ultimately have to face. (Foley, 4/1)

Thousands of Utahns received a notification this week that their Medicaid benefits were coming to an end immediately. But state officials said late Wednesday those people will have coverage after all. Utah Department of Workforce Services spokesman Nic Dunn confirmed about 12,000 recipients of the 12-month transitional Medicaid benefit received the letter because Congress did not approve funding beyond March before going into recess late last week. “If Congress reauthorizes the funding for the program after you receive this notice, your transitional Medicaid benefits may be reopened,” the letter stated. (Adams, 4/1)