The Wyoming Senate gave initial approval to a Medicaid Expansion bill, but added an amendment that could keep the state plan from being adopted by the federal government.
Riverton Republican Eli Bebout added a requirement that participants work up to 32 hours a week unless they’re disabled. The government has previously refused to consider such requirements, and Gillette Republican Michael Von Flatern called it a poison pill that hurts the bill.
Some Senators also expressed concerns about possible long term costs of Medicaid expansion. Senator Charles Scott predicts that the legislature would need to look at cutting money from higher education and local government funding in order to pay for the program.
“You vote for this, you are condemning those people to a major cut….2 years…3 years…4 years down the road.”
Senate President Phil Nicholas says the Department of Health may also be forced to offer fewer services. The bill will be debated two more times.