Indiana governor supports GOP repeal of Obama health law
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said Thursday that he supports the Republican bill to repeal former President Barack Obama's health care law, which would slash funding for a low income health care program that was one of Vice President Mike Pence's legacy achievements as governor.
"I've made it crystal clear that we must repeal Obamacare. We know this is not working," the Holcomb told reporters. "The status quo is unacceptable. I'm not going to be a party to kicking the can down the road. I want to make sure everyone knows we want to be part of the solution."
The GOP governor's support for the bill, though, is somewhat at odds with his own recent statements calling on congressional Republicans to spare Medicaid funding.
Under the measure before Congress, Indiana stands to lose almost $1 billion a year in federal funding, according to a report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
A Thursday vote on the measure that was planned in the U.S. house was delayed after Republican leaders failed to get enough support. But if it passes, it would raise doubts about whether Indiana could continue to insure the more than 400,000 people who get coverage through the state's HIP 2.0 program, which was created by Pence.
Last week, Holcomb voiced support for overhauling the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as "Obamacare." But he also joined a growing chorus of Republican governors who say Congress should to spare the increase in Medicaid funding it made available.
"I want to make sure that we're compassionate and cover the Hoosiers that we are right now," Holcomb said on March 13. "I completely believe we need to fix the Affordable Care Act and (House Republican's) repeal was the right first step. But the devil is always in the details."
On Thursday, Holcomb acknowledged that the state stood to lose funding under the GOP plan. But he expressed optimism that a shift of control to the state government would enable Indiana to find cost savings and keep the program afloat.
"The more flexibility, the more control that we have over cost and accessibility, the better," he said.
Obama's law has been in Republican crosshairs since its inception, and public disapproval of it helped propel the GOP to the commanding majorities they hold in Congress and many state legislatures.
But attitudes toward the law have shifted. Indiana is among 31 states, including a number that are under Republican control, that took advantage of increased funding made available through the law to expand state Medicaid programs and cover poor people who previously did not have health insurance.
Not everyone in the state is as optimistic as Holcomb about the bill.
The Indiana Hospital Association said in an email that the bill would "create economic instability and leave states like Indiana with fewer resources to care for our must vulnerable populations."
State House Speaker Brian Bosman also said he also has concerns, but added that he is "withholding judgment."
"I do have thoughts and I do have concerns, but it's early in the process," The Indianapolis Republicans said.
Pence has long been a critic of Obama's law and is working to build support for the House bill, which President Donald Trump supports. But as governor, one of Pence's biggest achievements was an expansion of Medicaid, through the HIP 2.0 program, that took advantage of extra money offered through the ACA.
Pence's program was also designed by Seema Verma, one of his key health policy advisers who is now heading up the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under Trump.
Holcomb, who is Pence's hand-picked successor, said the vice president did not ask him to support the House bill.
"I want to be part of a solution and not just throw rocks at something," Holcomb said. Later he added: "We'll work our way through this. I've seen this movie before."
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