Another fight related to Medicaid expansion could be coming soon in the state Legislature.
As The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher reports, lawmakers are looking at ways to fill a budget gap they created by delaying the expansion.
Although the governor signed the expansion into law a month ago, it won’t take effect until spring. That’s because the state Senate rejected a procedural vote to give the bill immediate effect. According to the non-partisan House Fiscal Agency, that means the state will lose more than $70 million in expected savings under the federal health care law.
Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville hopes a vote on a bill to fill that gap will be less dramatic than the last. But he understands why some lawmakers may have concerns.
“I think those of us who hate Obamacare will always be concerned when we talk about that stuff,” he says.
But Richardville says he expects lawmakers to approve a budget fix before the end of the year.
