Alaska governor to expand Medicaid under Obamacare
July 17, 2015, 8:07 AM
JUNEAU, Alaska -- Gov. Bill Walker said Thursday that he intends to accept federal money to expand Medicaid coverage in Alaska, regardless of whether he gets the blessing of state lawmakers to do so.
"Today, Alaska becomes the 30th state to accept the benefits of Medicaid expansion," Walker said to applause at an event announcing his plans in Anchorage.
Walker, who was elected last fall, campaigned on expanding Medicaid to provide health care coverage to thousands more lower-income Alaskans. But he ran into resistance from leaders in the Republican-led Legislature, who among other things expressed concern with adding more people to a system they saw as broken.
Some legislators wanted to see reforms before moving toward expansion.
Critics also raised issues with Alaska's troubled system for paying Medicaid providers. Health department officials, however, have said the system has vastly improved, with most new claims being paid correctly.
Lawmakers recently passed a budget that sought to restrict spending for expanded Medicaid. But the Legislature's top attorney and state's attorney general have said such provisions could be unconstitutional.
"This is the final option for me, I've tried everything else," Walker said. "And one thing people have to learn about me, I never give up, and I won't give up."
more:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/alaska-governor-to-expand-medicaid-under-obamacare/
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