Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Senators offer compromise to cover Medicaid gap population

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lawmakers who want to extend health coverage to Nebraska's Medicaid gap population are planning to propose a compromise they say would reduce uncertainty about the program's costs.

A legislative committee will vote Thursday on the bill to insure that group using federal Medicaid dollars.

Previous attempts to expand Medicaid under the federal health care law have failed, but three senators say they're working on an amendment that would end the program automatically after three years, unless lawmakers renew it. To pay Nebraska's share, the amendment would use $63 million from the state's health care cash fund.

The proposal would require the state to hire a consultant to analyze how much state revenue is generated and saved.

A spokesman for Governor Pete Ricketts says the governor remains opposed to the legislation.

Copyright 2016. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.