GOP govs: ObamaCare repeal bill shifts ‘significant’ costs to states

Four GOP governors say the House Republicans’ ObamaCare repeal plan will shift costs to states and offer no new flexibility for them to handle their Medicaid programs.

Govs. John Kasich of Ohio, Rick Snyder of Michigan, Brian Sandoval of Nevada and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas wrote in a letter to House and Senate leadership that the current GOP plan to end the Medicaid expansion in 2020 does not give states the resources or flexibility to make sure no one is left out. 

“It provides almost no new flexibility for states, does not ensure the resources necessary to make sure no one is left out and shifts significant new costs to states,” the governors wrote in the letter.

{mosads}President Trump said in his joint address to Congress that governors would be given the “resources and flexibility they need with Medicaid to make sure no one if left out.” 

“Unfortunately, the current version of the House bill does not meet this test,” the governors wrote. 

The governors say they support Medicaid reform and have developed their own proposal to address it and the issue of equity for expansion states and non-expansion states. 

“Additionally, we believe Congress should focus first on stabilizing the private insurance market, where the greatest disruption from ObamaCare has occurred,” they wrote. 

“We stand ready to work with you to develop a proposal that is both fiscally sound and provides affordable coverage for our most vulnerable citizens.” 

The current GOP health plan, known as the American Health Care Act, would end the expansion in 2020 and fund Medicaid by per capita caps instead of its current open-ended agreement. 

A proposal from the governors, however, would preserve the expansion and make it available to other states that didn’t expand it under ObamaCare. 

The Medicaid issue has made moderates in Congress weary about voting for the plan. 

Four Republican senators — Rob Portman (Ohio), Shelley Moore Capito (W.V.), Cory Gardner (Colo.) and Lisa Murkowski (Ala.) — have all pledged to vote against rolling back the expansion. 

Senate Republicans can only lose two of their members and still pass the legislation.