Lawmakers are taking their first votes on whether they want to cover more uninsured people in the state's Medicaid program, as allowed under the federal Affordable Care Act.
[Editor's Note: This story will be updated later today.]
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Lawmakers are taking their first votes on whether they want to cover more uninsured people in the state's Medicaid program, as allowed under the federal Affordable Care Act.
Both the House and Senate health care committees have hearings scheduled Wednesday on Medicaid expansion bills.
The health care law pushed by President Barack Obama allows the expansion to cover adults making up to 138 percent of the poverty level - less than $32,000 for a family of four. And the federal government will pick up most of the cost.
Expansion opponents, including Gov. Bobby Jindal, say it would be too costly for the state and would expand an inefficient and outdated Medicaid program.
Supporters say the state could save money with the expansion while also offering thousands access to health insurance.