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BY RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR AND BOB CHRISTIE Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s Republican versus Republican in the latest round of political battles over health care. Conservative Republican leg islators in major states are trying to block efforts by more prag matic governors of their own party to accept health insurance for more low-income residents under President Barack Obama’s health care law. Unlike their congressional counterparts, who’ve misfired in repeated attempts to torpedo the law, state Republicans may well sink the expansion of Medicaid in populous states such as Florida and Michigan. That would mean leaving billions of dollars in federal matching funds on the table and hundreds of thousands of the poor uninsured. Expansion opponents said it’s an issue that goes to their core beliefs. “It’s an ideological principle piece to us on the conservative side,” said state Rep. David Gowan, majority leader in the Arizona House of Representa tives. “We don’t believe in the expansion of Medicaid itself it’s within the process of man dating health care. We don’t believe it’s the government’s duty to do that. It should be open for people to go get their health care.” Nine Republican governors supported or accepted the Med icaid expansion, a major compo nent of the health care law tak ing effect Jan. 1. It’s designed to provide coverage to about 20 million uninsured people if all states accept. Washington would pick up the full cost for the first three years and 90 per cent over the long haul. Those helped would mainly be low-income adults with no children at home, people work ing jobs that pay little and don’t come with health insurance. For uninsured adults below the pov erty line, expanded Medicaid New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks at a news conference in Trenton, N.J. Christie is one of nine Republican governors who support Medicaid expansion. is the only way to get coverage under the new law. But middle class people will be eligible for subsidized private insurance. Overall, 23 states plus the District of Columbia, are plan ning to expand their Medicaid programs. About a dozen are undecided. AP PHOTO/MATT YORK, FILE Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer speaks from her office at the Capitol in Phoenix, prior to giving her State of the State address. AP PHOTO/MEL EVANS, FILE AP PHOTO/ PAT CARTER, FILE Florida Gov. Rick Scott speaks in Fort Lauderdale. It’s Republi can vs. Republican in the latest round of health care battles.
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Aiken Standard
Aiken, South Carolina, US
Sun, Jun 02, 2013
Page 12
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