Republicans Push Plan to Renege on Medicaid Promise
By Sarah Mimms
During the nasty campaign for Virginia governor last month, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., tried to poke a hole in Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe’s pledge to tap the full federal funding promised to states for expanding their Medicaid programs.
“The notion that the federal government is going to keep matching Medicaid spending at this level is a notion that is just a faulty premise. It’s going to get cut,” Ryan said on a conference call with Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli in late October.
Now Ryan’s right-hand man on the Budget Committee, Rep. Tom Price, and other House Republicans are pushing a plan that would ensure those federal dollars do not come through.
Price, a Georgia doctor, brought up the issue during a meeting of the budget conference committee on Wednesday, arguing that by forcing states to pay for at least a portion of their expanded Medicaid programs, Congress could mitigate some of the sequestration cuts—a key goal for Democrats on the committee.
Currently, the federal government has promised the states that it will kick in 100 percent of funding for a Medicaid expansion over the first three years. After that, the government will pay for at least 90 percent of the program indefinitely. So far, 25 states and the District of Columbia have expanded the program under those terms, while another four are considering an expansion. McAuliffe, who narrowly defeated Cuccinelli on Nov. 5, has made it a top priority when he assumes Virginia’s governorship in January.
Price suggested Friday that the federal contribution should be dropped to 90 percent immediately. While the issue is not currently under “official” consideration in the budget conference committee, he said, many House Republicans are discussing such a proposal.
more
http://www.nationaljournal.com/daily/republicans-push-plan-to-renege-on-medicaid-promise-20131117
The sabotage efforts continue….
