GOP govs seek White House meeting to discuss Medicaid expansion

The governors hope to discuss ways to make the health law's Medicaid expansion -- as well as the challenge of setting up health exchanges -- more affordable.

The Associated Press/Washington Post: Fla. Gov. Scott, 10 Other Governors, Seek Meeting With Obama To Discuss New Health Care Law
Eleven Republican governors, including Florida's Rick Scott, Louisiana's Bobby Jindal and Arizona's Jan Brewer want to meet with President Barack Obama to discuss the federal health overhaul, including ways to make expanding the Medicaid rolls and setting up online health exchanges more affordable for states with tight budgets (12/12).

Meanwhile, officials in Wisconsin and Nevada were talking about the impact and implementation of the law.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Federal Health Care Law Will Cost State, Secretary Says
The state health secretary will tell Congress on Thursday that Wisconsin will pay more for its health care programs for the needy under the looming federal health care law but doesn't have hard financial figures yet on his claim. Dennis Smith, the point man on health care for Gov. Scott Walker's administration, said Wednesday that he will argue that the federal law commonly called Obamacare will cost Wisconsin taxpayers more than it will save through an expansion of joint state and federal Medicaid health programs for the poor. That's because, according to Smith, it won't provide enough additional reimbursement to the state to cover the full number of people who will sign up for programs such as BadgerCare Plus in 2014 (Stein and Marley, 12/12).

The Associated Press: State Senate GOP Leaders Back Sandoval On Medicaid
State Senate Republican leaders lined up Wednesday to back Gov. Brian Sandoval's decision to expand Medicaid eligibility for Nevada's poorest residents, while Democrats and advocates for the needy expressed cautious support until more details emerge. Sandoval became the first Republican governor to accept expanding Medicaid eligibility as called for under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Chereb, 12/12).