PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on reaction in Arizona to the U.S. Senate health care proposal (all times local):
1:30 p.m.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey says a U.S. Senate proposal repealing much of President Barack Obama’s health care law falls short of what is needed to provide for the state’s Medicaid population.
The governor sent a letter to Sen. John McCain this week outlining what must be included to get his backing. Ducey spokesman Daniel Scapinato said Friday that an analysis of the Senate proposal shows the five areas Ducey identified aren’t addressed.
McCain said Thursday he wanted to hear Ducey’s opinion before deciding if he supports the bill.
Ducey wants a slower phase-out of higher Medicaid expansion matches, higher inflation adjustments, elimination of a penalty for states that expanded parts of Medicaid early, and explicit flexibility for the program covering 1.9 million Arizona.
The state’s Medicaid agency says the bill costs the state at least $7.1 billion through 2026.
11:50 a.m.
Arizona’s Medicaid agency says a new U.S. Senate proposal repealing much of former President Barack Obama’s health care law would cost the state at least $7.1 billion through 2026.
The analysis released Friday says the costs occur even if the state freezes enrollment in expanded Medicaid.
Changes to federal matching payments for the state’s 1.9 million Medicaid recipients would cost $2.9 billion. Limiting inflation adjustments would cost $2.2 billion.
Another $2 billion loss would occur when a hospital assessment that pays the state costs of covering 82,000 people in the expanded program and 319,000 childless adults stops. That will happen in 2022 when federal matching rates hit an 80 percent trigger in the 2013 state law authorizing expansion.
Raising taxes to replace the money is unlikely in a Republican-controlled state.
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