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Gov. Snyder: Room For Improvement In GOP Health Care Bill

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - Gov. Rick Snyder says House Republicans considering health care legislation in Washington have begun addressing concerns about premium costs for 50- to 64-year-olds — but he has not seen progress on his concerns with shifting costs onto states that may no longer be able to enroll as many Medicaid recipients.

The Republican governor sent a letter this week to Michigan's congressional delegation warning the legislation would hurt residents in Michigan's traditional Medicaid program and end the expansion of coverage to others.

He told WWJ's Vickie Thomas and other reporters Wednesday the bill should be changed.

"I'm concerned about Healthy Michigan and our expansion which has been going very well, and then traditional Medicaid," the governor said. "I'm concerned about what pharmacy, specialty pharmaceutical costs could be doing to that to make sure we have sustainable programs."

Snyder says the federal health law is not working "in many respects," but the replacement bill "needs to be improved."

As Snyder has long touted the success of the Medicaid expansion, dubbed "Healthy Michigan,"  which he said would encourage personal responsibility and reduce unpaid care in the state. Signed into law by Snyder in  2013, it expanded Medicaid eligibility to cover those with incomes of up to 137 percent of the federal poverty level.

While the House GOP legislation does not explicitly repeal the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion, it does reduce federal funding for the program to the point — according to nonpartisan analysis — that many states would likely find continuing it unsustainable.

Could it mean an end to Healthy Michigan if this bill is passed?

"It's too early to tell," Snyder said. "What I want to make sure is we're bringing up these issues that could be important topics that I believe should be addressed as part of this legislative reform process."

"We're talking people and their heath care and their livelihood and their lives," the governor added. "So that's where I think it's important to speak up."

The GOP-led House plans to vote Thursday. If the legislation clears that hurdle, its fate in the Senate is uncertain.

© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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