Expanding Medicaid in the state is a hot-button issue and Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter hinted at a hybrid version as a possibility.
His plan would be a public-private partnership that would utilize Medicaid expansion dollars.
“I’ve always been against expanding Medicaid,” Ledbetter said on “Capitol Journal.” “I don’t think that benefits us. Public-private is a different animal, because their is about half of the people that already does have insurance that wouldn’t be taken off insurance that would actually stay on commercial insurance.”
Ledbetter said the Legislature is looking to other states for examples on how to move forward on the issue.
“Arkansas did a very similar program to that and there’s others out there that have,” Ledbetter said. “I think it certainly doesn’t hurt to look and see how successful they’ve been and how its effected them.”
He also revealed his main reservation about the possible change.
“My biggest thing with expansion, of course, I’ve been in government before being the mayor of a small town; I’ve seen federal programs come and go,” Ledbetter said. “They’re fine when they’re there and they’re paying for it, but then with they go you have to pick up the dollar and that’s not always easy. That’s been my biggest concern about expansion of Medicaid.”
However, Ledbetter did say he is open to discussion on the subject.
“I do think we need to have a dialogue, that’s the position we’re in, that’s what we were elected to do was have a conversation about it,” he said. “We’ll just have to see how it goes.”
One of the suggested plans would expand healthcare by allowing Alabamians who make up to $20,783 a year to be eligible for full Medicaid benefits through a private insurer, which in turn would be subsidized by federal funds.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
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