Defending the state’s success in reaching near universal health insurance coverage, Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday he hopes any Republican plan to replace Obamacare protects the gains made in Massachusetts over the past decade.

Baker, a Republican, said he had not yet read the Congressional Budget Office report released Monday that found the House GOP health care bill would result in 14 million more Americans going without insurance by 2018 and 24 million by 2026.

Though the governor said it might take “a day or two” for his team to fully understand how the CBO thinks the bill will impact Massachusetts, Baker said his central message to Congress stands.

“Obviously our view on this remains the same, which is we want to make sure that we are able to continue to deliver for the 97 percent plus of the population here in Massachusetts that’s currently covered under our existing system,” Baker said.

The GOP plan would gradually roll back the expansion of Medicaid created under the Affordable Care Act, and transition Medicaid from a claims-based federal reimbursement system to one in which states get per capita funding that they must manage.

The bill, according to the CBO, would reduce the federal deficit by $337 billion over 10 years.

Baker and many other governors remain worried that changes to Medicaid reimbursements could lead to fewer dollars flowing to the states, which would put added pressure on state’s to come up with additional funds or reduce benefits.

Baker said that federal reimbursements account for about 54 percent of all MassHealth spending in this year’s budget, or $10.5 billion.

Guv’s Message The Same After CBO Report On ACA Repeal

by State House News Service time to read: 1 min
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