Brewer favors expansion of federal Medicaid coverage

Brewer favors expansion of federal Medicaid coverage Arizona Gov. Brewer said Monday she plans to push to expand Arizona's Medicaid coverage in line with federal health care law...

Brewer favors expanding federal Medicaid coverage Arizona Gov. Brewer said Monday she plans to push to expand Arizona's Medicaid coverage in line with federal health care law, a surprising decision that could have implications for other Republican governors. Brewer has opposed the federal health care reform law, also known as the Affordable Care Act, citing concerns that it would lead to an overreliance on federal funding. A provision of the 2011 health care law allows states to increase their Medicaid coverage, but Brewer told lawmakers on Monday during her annual State of the State address that nearly all of that expansion will be paid for by the federal government. She said not taking the money would not contribute to a reduction in the federal deficit. Brewer said any increase in coverage would also include a circuit breaker that would automatically fall back to the original level of coverage if federal reimbursement levels drop. She will not allow Obamacare to become a bait-and-switch. Brewer's decision will be closely watched across the country, especially as Arizona was one of the states that had appealed to overturn Obamacare. After the Supreme Court ruling, Brewer considered pursuing some kind of partial expansion of health care coverage, but the federal government rejected her approach. The Supreme Court ruled last year that states are free to accept or reject expanded health insurance coverage. Several Republican governors, including Texas Governor Perry, Louisiana Governor Jindal and South Carolina Governor Harry Harry, have said they will not expand health insurance coverage.