A handful of Republicans governors met Thursday with GOP senators who will be overseeing the repeal of Obamacare to express their concerns and hopes about the process. The meeting came after House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had asked governors across the country to weigh in on the effort to dismantle of the Affordable Care Act, including the Medicaid expansion, which some but not all red states had opted into.
Not surprisingly, many GOP governors said they supported repealing Obamacare, but some still warned against doing so swiftly without a replacement ready. Others highlighted the gains their states made under their Medicaid expansion.
Read some of the letters sent to McCarthy below:
Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R): “We support a single repeal-and-replace package, but are concerned that a strategy to repeal now then later replace the ACA could have serious consequences.”
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R): “I chose to expand the Medicaid Program, to require managed care for most enrollees and to implement a state based health insurance exchange. These decisions made healthcare accessible to many Nevadans who had never had coverage options before.”
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R): ” Any changes to the Affordable Care Act must also take into account the impact changes would have on the Medicaid program…Proposals that suggest states may be provided with more flexibility and control must not result in substantial and destabilizing cost shift to states.”
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R): “We encourage you to look to Arkansas Works, our state’s new innovative approach to Medicaid expansion, as a model for programs that help individuals move up the economic ladder and off of Medicaid, while smoothing the transition into the commercial market.”
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley (R): “Repealing the Affordable Care Act without a clear replacement could raise concerns among insurers nationwide and cause some to withdraw from the market, limiting consumer choice.”
