This weekend, the nation's governors gathered in Mississippi to talk about the imminent health insurance and federal health care reform bill and how it will affect the states.
the biggest concern for governors after the meeting was a provision that would increase Medicaid eligibility, reported New York Times .
in the reform project that is under consideration in the US House of Representatives, Medicaid would be expanded to accept Americans who earn 133 percent of the federal poverty level, and newborns no other insurance coverage.
While the increase seems to be small compared to say, the Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), it would still add about 11 million people on the federal budget.
And according to the Congressional Budget Office, which adds $ 438 billion in spending over the next 10 years.
governors of both parties are very concerned about what will most of them through hard budget constraints themselves. If Medicaid expansion should occur, the governors are worried most of the responsibility for the costs will be borne by the states.
"We can not have Congress impose requirements that we are forced to absorb beyond our capacity to do so," said the governor of Vermont Republican Jim Douglas.
Even Democratic governors were concerned about this provision.
"There is a concern about whether they have fully understood a revenue stream that would cover the costs, and if they do not have all the dollars accounted it will fall on the states, "said Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr., a Democrat.
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