Scott Walker rejects Medicaid expansion

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) said Wednesday he won't participate in the Medicaid expansion under President Obama's healthcare law.

Walker stuck to the GOP party line, despite defections from a handful of other prominent Republican governors.

The federal government initially funds 100 percent of the Medicaid expansion, dropping to 90 percent after the first few years. But GOP governors have expressed concern that Congress won't live up to that funding commitment in a climate of spending cuts.

Some Republicans also want governors to resist the Medicaid expansion simply to undermine the healthcare law.

Walker outlined a new system that he said would take the place of the Medicaid expansion. He said his proposal — sketched out in a PowerPoint presentation — would cover about 225,000 Wisconsin residents through private insurance, not Medicaid.

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