LITTLE ROCK, AR — State lawmakers are nearing the end of the session, and it’s still up in the air whether they will pass legislation to expand Medicaid.
At a Monday morning press conference, Majority Leader Bruce Westerman laid out a couple options he says they are considering.
One of those options comes as a proposed deal for the state’s Medicaid program that would use federal money to pay for private insurance for the state’s citizens.
Westerman suggested that lawmakers should hold off on appropriating money for the program until the kinks can be ironed out.
“The first argument, you’re going to lose six months of free money from fed for health care,” Westerman says. “I would rather develop a sound program that everyone can understand and support than just to make a rash decision in the next few weeks and lose total control of what’s going to happen on the private option.”
The other option, which is one the Governor reportedly supports, is for lawmakers to finalize the program and appropriate the funds before the session is scheduled to end on April 19.
At a Monday morning press conference, Majority Leader Bruce Westerman laid out a couple options he says they are considering.
One of those options comes as a proposed deal for the state’s Medicaid program that would use federal money to pay for private insurance for the state’s citizens.
Westerman suggested that lawmakers should hold off on appropriating money for the program until the kinks can be ironed out.
“The first argument, you’re going to lose six months of free money from fed for health care,” Westerman says. “I would rather develop a sound program that everyone can understand and support than just to make a rash decision in the next few weeks and lose total control of what’s going to happen on the private option.”
The other option, which is one the Governor reportedly supports, is for lawmakers to finalize the program and appropriate the funds before the session is scheduled to end on April 19.