http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-941394.mp3
Phoenix, AZ – Brewer has never been a fan of the federal health care law. In
fact, she has filed suit along with other states to have it
declared unconstitutional. But unless and until that happens, the
state is stuck with a requirement to keep funding the Arizona
Health Care Cost Containment System, its Medicaid program, at
current levels. So Brewer sent a letter to incoming House Speaker
John Boehner asking for his help in rescinding that mandate, one
gubernatorial press aide Paul Senseman said adds hundreds of
millions of dollars to the budget.
(It threatens our other priority areas of state spending, like
education, public safety and some of the non-mandated health care
programs that Arizonans have committed to in the past and would
like to keep their commitments on.)
In her letter to Boehner, Brewer pointed out that Arizona has a
Medicaid program more generous than required by federal law and
more generous than most other states. She said it's not fair to
preclude Arizona from trimming that back in the face of what is
shaping up to be a $1.4 billion deficit for the coming fiscal
year. For Arizona Public Radio this is Howard Fischer.