Governors continue to mull, question Medicaid expansion

It's likely to be a hot topic this weekend as the nation's governors meet in Williamsburg, Va.  

The Washington Post: Medicaid Expansion Likely To Dominate National Governors Association Meeting In Williamsburg
In the weeks since the Supreme Court ruling, several Republican governors opposed to the law have declared that they will opt out of its Medicaid expansion, which is set to take effect in 2014 and would cover those earning 133 percent or less of the federal poverty level (Felicia Sonmez, 7/11).

The Associated Press/Washington Post: Idaho Governor Otter Still Open To Exchange, Medicaid Expansion After Ruling, Will Study Both
Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter isn't dismissing an insurance exchange or expanding Medicaid eligibility rules for his state because he doesn't want to cut off opportunities to make health care more affordable for Idaho residents. Otter said Tuesday he plans to study both options following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold President Barack Obama's health care overhaul (7/11).

Kaiser Health News: Could Grass-Roots Pressure Trigger Change Of Heart In Texas?
Health reform advocates and Democrats in Texas are reacting to Gov. Rick Perry's vow to turn down both the Medicaid expansion and health insurance exchange mandated in the federal health law (Feibel, 7/11).

Reuters: Nebraska Governor Says State Cannot Afford Medicaid Expansion
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman said on Wednesday the state cannot afford the expansion of the Medicaid program under President Obama's healthcare law, but stopped short of saying whether the Midwestern state would join six others rejecting the expansion. Heineman, a Republican, said in a letter to senators Wednesday that the expansion would force Nebraska to cut funding for education (7/11).

The Washington Post: Connolly Urges McDonnell To Participate In Medicaid Expansion
U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly is urging Gov. Bob McDonnell to avoid "a costly and historic mistake" by opting Virginia out of the federal health-care law's Medicaid expansion (Kumar, 7/11).

In related news -

The Associated Press/Washington Post: Lt. Gov. Kinder, GOP Lawmakers Challenge Ballot Summary For Missouri Health Insurance Measure
Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and other top Republican legislative leaders filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing the secretary of state's office of writing a health care measure ballot summary that is "blatantly false, deceptive and intended to mislead the people." The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a statewide ballot measure for November that would ask voters whether Missouri officials should be barred from creating a health insurance exchange without approval from voters or the Legislature (7/11).

Meanwhile  -

Kaiser Health News: How The SCOTUS Medicaid Ruling Could Save Money
The Supreme Court ruling on the health care law could have an unexpected effect -- saving the federal government money, say some budget experts. The exact amount of savings is still unknown, because it depends on how many states decide not to expand their Medicaid programs, now that the court has said that they have a choice in the matter (Werber Serafini, 7/11).