Georgia Governor: Don't Punish States That Refused Expansion
Georgia’s Republican governor said Wednesday that changes to federal health care law proposed by his party in Congress shouldn’t “punish” the 19 states that refused to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Gov. Nathan Deal said he’s not certain yet that the package backed by congressional Republicans and the White House will do that. But he wants states that didn’t expand, like Georgia, to be considered as the proposal moves toward a House vote, not just states that ultimately accepted broader Medicaid coverage offered under former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law.
“What we’re finding out is what I knew along: When you give somebody something for nothing, it’s going to be very difficult to take it away,” Deal said. “And that’s what is happening in those states that expanded their Medicaid rolls.”
Deal said he still doesn’t regret refusing Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. He has argued that it was too expensive long term because the federal government committed to paying the entire cost of expansion for three years, before dropping to 90 percent starting in 2020.
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