House Democrats Could Combine Legislation That Would Increase Medicaid Funding, Halt Medicaid Regulations, Expand SCHIP

House Democrats are considering crafting legislation that would combine a temporary boost to the federal medical assistance percentage for Medicaid, a moratorium on new rules that limit Medicaid eligibility and an expansion of SCHIP, a leadership aide said Tuesday, CQ HealthBeat reports. The strategy "is intended to secure enough support from GOP colleagues and Republican governors in Democrats' push to enact legislation this year to increase funding for" SCHIP, CQ HealthBeat reports.

However, a House GOP aide said that the combination of bills is unlikely to draw enough votes to override a presidential veto. The aide said that many Republicans do not support increasing the FMAP and do not want to revisit SCHIP. In addition, the aide said that if Democrats push for an increase in the Medicaid rate, "at some point," fiscally conservative Democrats "are going to balk" unless the economy fully warrants the increase (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 2/5).