Medicaid Directors Come Out Against Latest GOP Obamacare Repeal Bill

The National Association of Medicaid Directors has cautioned Republican lawmakers against passing the Senate’s latest Obamacare repeal bill in its current form, warning that it would “undermine” efforts to improve the country’s health care. A statement issued by the NAMD’s board of directors late Thursday said the Graham-Cassidy bill, which would repeal Medicaid expansion, would place a massive burden on states and “constitute the largest intergovernmental transfer of financial risk from the federal government to the states in our country’s history.” The NAMD, a coalition of Medicaid directors from each state, also said the GOP bill’s requirement for states to create brand new health-care programs by 2020 would not be feasible without federal funding to support such activities. “Any effort of this magnitude needs thorough discussion, examination and analysis, and should not be rushed through without proper deliberation,” the statement warns. The health-care bill is expected to be put to a vote on the Senate floor next week.