Senate committee OKs interim committee on Medicaid expansion

Legislation to create an interim committee comprised of lawmakers from the House and Senate to study Medicaid expansion and potential savings or costs to counties is heading to the full Senate.

The Senate State Affairs Committee on Wednesday introduced the legislation and sent it directly to the Senate in a step that omits a public hearing.

The proposed committee will look into the possibility of eliminating several programs used to pay medical bills for indigent county residents that could be covered if state lawmakers fund the voter-approved Medicaid expansion.

The committee would also look at ways to collect from counties the money saved by not having to pay the medical bills of residents who can’t pay for their own care.

Republican Sen. Brent Hill introduced the legislation and says the committee is needed to look into and better understand potential ramifications of eliminating the programs.