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Governors wary of Medicaid cost shift in Senate health bill

FILE – In this April 4, 2017, file photo, Ohio Gov. John Kasich delivers his State of the State address at the Sandusky State Theatre in Sandusky, Ohio. Governors in states that expanded Medicaid are wary of a bill revealed Thursday, June 22, by Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate. The expansion of the state-federal program has allowed 11 million lower-income Americans to gain health coverage. Among the Republicans voicing concern are Kasich and Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane, File)
FILE – In this April 4, 2017, file photo, Ohio Gov. John Kasich delivers his State of the State address at the Sandusky State Theatre in Sandusky, Ohio. Governors in states that expanded Medicaid are wary of a bill revealed Thursday, June 22, by Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate. The expansion of the state-federal program has allowed 11 million lower-income Americans to gain health coverage. Among the Republicans voicing concern are Kasich and Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane, File) FILE – In this April 4, 2017, file photo, Ohio Gov. John Kasich delivers his State of the State address at the Sandusky State Theatre in Sandusky, Ohio. Governors in states that expanded Medicaid are wary of a bill revealed Thursday, June 22, by Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate. The expansion of the state-federal program has allowed 11 million lower-income Americans to gain health coverage. Among the Republicans voicing concern are Kasich and Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane, File)

By Associated Press 1 min read

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Governors in several states that opted to expand Medicaid are wary of the Senate Republican plan to end the added federal funding for it within seven years.

The proposal released Thursday calls for a slower phase-out of the Medicaid expansion than a bill adopted by the House. Yet it still would force those states to figure out what to do about the millions of lower-income Americans who used it to gain health coverage.

The doubts about the latest plan are coming from Republicans, Democrats and the nation’s one independent governor.

Among the Republicans voicing concern are Ohio Gov. John Kasich (KAY’-sihk) and Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. They say the GOP plan could leave hundreds of thousands of people in their states without coverage, including those dealing with chronic health problems.