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Congressman Bishop Pushes for State Control of Medicaid Funds

KUER News

Utah Congressman Rob Bishop is pushing for legislation that would reform the current Medicaid program.  The State Health Flexibility Act would introduce a federal block grant program designed to be administered by the states. 

The recent Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act determined that states can maintain current levels of Medicaid funding, even if they do not expand the population that is eligible for coverage.  Congressman Rob Bishop sees an opportunity.

“The Supreme Court said that Medicaid can and should be reviewed by the states.  The states don’t have to do everything in a lockstep way.  This gives the states a wonderful opportunity to step in and come up with some creative and fair ways for their citizens,”  said Bishop, “This is an effort to try and ensure that that can go forward, by insisting that the money will be block-granted to the states, and the states will have total ability and flexibility to come up with a good program.”

Bishop cosponsored the legislation in March.  He did not know if the State Health Flexibility Act would reach the House floor before the November election.

Andrea Smardon is new at KUER, but she has worked in public broadcasting for more than a decade. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and news announcer for WGBH radio. While in Boston, she produced stories for Morning Edition, Marketplace Money, and The World. Her print work was published in The Boston Globe and Boston.com. Prior to that, she worked at Seattleââ
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