Nelson Wants to Give All States Nebraskas Medicaid Assistance
In a statement, the Democrat said yesterday he is asking that lawmakers working on melding House and Senate health bills provide full federal funding of the proposed expansion of Medicaid for all states, or allow every state the ability to opt out of the expense they would begin paying in 2017.
Nelson secured an agreement to exempt his state from paying its share of a plan to expand the insurance program for low- income Americans when he agreed to back his fellow Democrats in supporting the Senates version of health legislation. That prompted Republicans and other critics to call the deal the “Cornhusker kickback,” a reference to Nebraskas nickname, and the Republican governor of his state expressed embarrassment over the special help.
“Ive been in serious discussions with Senate leaders and others to secure changes in the bill to treat all states equally,” Nelson said in his statement. “At the end of the day, whatever Nebraska gets will apply to all states.”
Nelson on Dec. 19 announced his commitment to give Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, A Nevada Democrat, the 60th vote needed to help push the health-care bill through the chamber. In protracted talks with Reid that secured his support, Nelson also won tough abortion restrictions to prevent federal funding from being used to terminate pregnancies.
Nelsons state is dominated by Republican voters.
Online Exchanges
Like the $1 trillion measure passed Nov. 7 by the House, the $871 billion Senate plan would require Americans to get health coverage or pay a penalty. It would set up online insurance-purchasing exchanges and provide subsidies for those who need help buying policies, and take steps to hold down the soaring costs of health care. President Barack Obama has made passage of a health-care bill his top domestic priority.
The Senate bill would expand Medicaid to those up with incomes to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, which in 2009 was $14,400 for an individual. The federal government would absorb the costs until 2017, and then states would generally begin to pick up a portion. Nebraskas costs would be continuously absorbed by the federal government under the provision Nelson negotiated with Reid and that was included in the Senate bill.
Yesterday, Nelson described the Nebraska language only as a “placeholder,” and said he always wanted all states to have the benefit. “Every state should be, and will be, treated the same,” Nelson said, without explicitly saying hes willing for Nebraskas benefit to be dropped if lawmakers balk at expanding it nationwide.
Jim Manley, a Reid spokesman, declined to comment about Nelsons suggestion. He said Democratic leaders will continue to talk to Nelson as the final legislation is crafted.
Buffetts Comments
Buffett said Nelson “did the right thing. I think he did the courageous thing.”
Buffett, who has been an Obama supporter, said a health- care overhaul is needed because “the present system is not working well.”
He said “it is time for us to try to make an improvement,” while cautioning that the bills final version “is not going to be perfect” and would likely need future modifications if it becomes law.