GOP Gov Wants Personal Meeting With Obama On Medicaid Expansion

[RandySF]

In an open letter to President Barack Obama, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) said Thursday that he would like to meet personally with him to discuss Pence's proposal to expand Medicaid under Obamacare.

Under Pence and the Republican-controlled legislature, Indiana was one of more than 20 states initially refused to expand Medicaid this year, leaving 182,000 people uncovered. But Pence, like several other GOP governors, has since opened up to the idea -- provided the administration meets his conditions.

Pence has proposed an alternative form of Medicaid expansion, using an existing state program. It includes some provisions that the administration might not be willing to accept. Those would, for example, include allowing coverage to be revoked if an enrollee fails to make payments toward their health care..

"I have been made aware that issues have arisen in my administration’s ongoing discussion with HHS that threaten to compromise the Healthy Indiana Plan’s effectiveness," Pence wrote in the open letter published by the Journal-Gazette in Fort Wayne. "Our administration will not support efforts to remove or water down the Healthy Indiana Plan’s core principles, essentially changing this proven program into an expansion of traditional Medicaid."


http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mike-pence-obama-meeting-medicaid-expansion

[elleng]

1. Have to be sure to punish the poor, I guess.

[spanone]

2. i hope the administration gives him shit. they owe pence nothing.

he's only going to them because he's feeling the heat of the hoosiers he's screwed.

[Dont call me Shirley]

3. Extortion is a GOP speciality.

[bvf]

4. This may sound like pile-on bait

but if I were Obama, I'd blow him off on this. Pence and his administration had their collective finger in the wind a long time ago. Let them twist.

Sounds cold, I know, but you know--states' rights.

[Cali_Democrat]

6. Ya but Obama and the Dems actually care about the uninsured

GOPers don't care.

That's why Obama won't blow him off.

[bvf]

9. True, and good.

I think I was speaking out of anger with my earlier post. It just galls me that Pence will get any credit for the outcome, but you're right. Gotta keep an eye on the greater good.

[Cali_Democrat]

10. No worries. I understand the anger

[Thinkingabout]

5. Knock them down one state at a time, i doubt many will admit five years down the road

they were wrong. There are complaints about Medicare today but it is still here and even diehard RW are glad to have it.

[Politicalboi]

7. And I want Walt Disney to greet me at Disneyland

They probably just want Obama to show them how to apply on that computer machine. They heard about the problems the site was having so in order to make their internet connection faster, they moved the computer outside on the firing range. I'm sure they can get an okay with the Secret Service. Drinks will be served.

[global1]

8. I'm Thinking It's A Trap.....

Pence meets with Obama. He makes his demands. Obama says 'no' to the demands as Pence has to abide by the rules as they are currently enforced. Pence says Obama won't cooperate and he'll shift the blame for no Medicaid Expansion in Indiana to Obama.