In his state of the state address, Idaho Gov. C. L. "Butch" Otter (R) announced he would not expand his state's Medicaid program to more people using additional money that would be made available under the federal healthcare reform law, making him the tenth Republican governor to do so.
The Supreme Court previously ruled President Barack Obama's healthcare law could not require states to expand Medicaid, but the law incentivizes states that do expand by picking up the extra cost for three years and paying 90 percent of the bill after that. Republican governors have largely rejected the offer, saying expansion will create long-term cost increases for the health plan for the poor, which is co-funded by states and the federal government.
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval is currently the only Republican governor to agree to expand Medicaid.
A 15-person panel appointed by Gov. Otter unanimously recommended in November to accept the expansion agreement to make as many as 88,000 more Idahoans eligible for Medicaid, spending an additional $261 million between 2013 and 2022 in exchange for $3.7 billion from the federal government, according to a report from the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
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The Supreme Court previously ruled President Barack Obama's healthcare law could not require states to expand Medicaid, but the law incentivizes states that do expand by picking up the extra cost for three years and paying 90 percent of the bill after that. Republican governors have largely rejected the offer, saying expansion will create long-term cost increases for the health plan for the poor, which is co-funded by states and the federal government.
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval is currently the only Republican governor to agree to expand Medicaid.
A 15-person panel appointed by Gov. Otter unanimously recommended in November to accept the expansion agreement to make as many as 88,000 more Idahoans eligible for Medicaid, spending an additional $261 million between 2013 and 2022 in exchange for $3.7 billion from the federal government, according to a report from the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
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