Deal Says Georgia Won’t Be “Intimidated” Into Medicaid Expansion | WABE 90.1 FM

Gov. Nathan Deal remains opposed to expanding Medicaid under President Obama’s health reform law, despite what he characterizes as intimidation by the federal government.

The law’s lead implementer – U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius – has been in Atlanta this week promoting Georgia’s coming health exchange and urging Deal to reconsider the Medicaid expansion.

“The law was passed and signed in 2010, it was upheld by the Supreme Court last year, the president was reelected, we are implementing it, the law is the law,” said Sebelius.

Deal said he won’t be bullied.

“Instead of adjusting and accepting the Supreme Court opinion, it appears the tactic is to try to intimidate states which is exactly what the Supreme Court said that the federal act would not allow them to do.”

He said Sebelius has denied “virtually every request” for greater flexibility in rolling out the law.

“There has been, from my point of view, very little cooperation by the secretary and by the federal government to try to accommodate the desires and wishes of states.”

via Deal Says Georgia Won’t Be “Intimidated” Into Medicaid Expansion | WABE 90.1 FM.