Thune: Progress being made on Medicaid ‘wraparound’

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of GOP leadership, said progress is being made on a change to the GOP health bill that could unlock the support of key moderates. 

The Medicaid “wraparound” would allow some states to use additional funds to help low-income people, who are likely to lose Medicaid coverage, afford the premiums and deductibles for private insurance.

{mosads}Asked by reporters if leaders will know by Tuesday if that language can be codified, he replied: “I think so. The group has been working on that and made a lot of progress, and I feel pretty good about where things are, with the exception of a score, which unfortunately takes some time.” 

Thune wouldn’t say how much money would be attached to the proposal, but leaders have about $200 billion to play with.  

“I don’t think it would necessarily be $200 billion, but there would have to be some allocation,” he said. 

But a new study says that figure would not be enough to fund private coverage for people who would lose insurance because of a halted Medicaid expansion. 

Republicans are expected to vote Tuesday on a motion to begin debate on a healthcare bill, but leaders don’t yet know which bill it will be. 

It will either be a clean repeal bill passed by Congress in 2015 or the repeal-and-replace bill Senate Republicans have been working on. 

The latter proposal currently lacks the support to pass, with several moderates worrying about how it could impact those who gained coverage through ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion. 

The “wraparound” proposal is a way to try to get the support of moderate Republicans such as Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rob Portman (Ohio), Dean Heller (Nev.) and Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.)