JUNEAU — The state health commissioner says Alaska cannot absorb a shift in federal responsibility for health care costs back to the states, citing Alaska’s multibillion-dollar budget deficit.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Valerie Davidson says the expanded Medicaid program provides necessary treatment resources to help address opioid abuse in Alaska and is critical to efforts aimed at overhauling Alaska’s criminal justice system.<\/p>\n
Since the state expanded Medicaid in September 2015, more than 30,000 lower-income Alaskans have been covered. States had the option to expand Medicaid under former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law.<\/p>\n
Congressional Republicans are pushing to change the law.<\/p>\n
Legislation proposed by U.S. House Republicans would end a higher federal match for Medicaid expansion beneficiaries starting in 2020. It also would overhaul the overall framework of the Medicaid program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"