As members of his administration and other proponents of Medicaid expansion stood behind him, Walker introduced his legislation at a news conference at the Capitol. He wore a button that said “It’s the right thing to do,” and told reporters he was responding to lawmakers’ requests for a standalone measure.
“We decided it was time for us to close the loop and put out there exactly what was being asked for,” Walker said. “We have faith in the legislative process, that they’re going to move this through.”
Walker was elected last year after promising Medicaid expansion on the campaign trail. He’s a longtime Republican who dropped his party registration to get the endorsement of the state Democratic party, which has backed Medicaid expansion.
The health care program currently covers 125,000 Alaskans at an annual cost to the state of more than $600 million, but it’s limited primarily to low-income children, pregnant women and people with disabilities.
Expansion would make some 40,000 low-income residents newly eligible, with initial costs fully paid by the federal government -- though the state would ultimately have to pay for 10 percent of the newly covered people by 2021.
The Walker administration has said, however, that expansion will save the state millions of dollars annually even at that point, based on new federal funding that would pay for services currently covered by the state.
There are just 32 days left in this year’s legislative session, however, and Walker will have to win over Republican leaders in the House and Senate who have so far been skeptical of expanding Medicaid, citing the program’s existing costs and the possibility of a loss of federal funding.
