GOP lawmakers urge states (to drop out) on Medicaid

So they want the states to reject $ that would help poor people get health care. Got it.

GOP lawmakers urge states on Medicaid

By MANU RAJU | 6/29/12 5:08 PM EDT Updated: 6/29/12 7:41 PM EDT


Republican lawmakers are urging their home-state governors to drop out of the Medicaid expansion that was part of Barack Obama’s health care law now that the Supreme Court has given them a way out.

In interviews on Friday, GOP House and Senate lawmakers said their states should seriously consider rejecting the law’s provision for wider Medicaid coverage, which would gut the law’s expanded insurance coverage if many states decide to opt out.

“No, I don’t,” said Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) when asked whether Republican Gov. Nathan Deal should keep his state under the new Medicaid program.

“It’s a big increase in cost that the state government will have to incur and Medicaid is already unaffordable in Pennsylvania, as it is for most states,” said Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). “I think they’ll have to weigh the option very seriously of not going for that expansion. “

“I think they should” drop out, said GOP Rep. Tom Rooney, referring to his home-state of Florida. “The more {states}, the better. … Anything that a state can do to try to water it down, the better.”

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/78041.html