Gov. Mike Pence says he won't seek extra Medicaid money

WASHINGTON – Perhaps the Obama administration should have checked with Gov. Mike Pence before telling reporters the Indiana Republican plans to lobby for more Medicaid dollars from Washington.

The White House has proposed giving states that expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act a full three-years of 100 percent federal funding, no matter when the expansion starts.

The law stipulates the federal government will pay the full cost from 2014 through 2016, with the federal share gradually declining to a minimum 90 percent after that.

Indiana’s expansion didn't start until 2015, so the state would get an extra year of full funding under President Obama’s proposal. States still deciding whether to expand Medicaid also could get three years of 100 percent federal funding.

Asked by reporters last month why the White House thinks the proposal has a chance with the GOP-controlled Congress, spokesman Josh Earnest pointed to Pence as an example of a conservative Republican who sees the value of expanding Medicaid.

“So it’s not just the president that’s going to be making the case that Congress should act on this proposal,” Earnest said. “Conservative Republican Gov. Mike Pence will be making the case that Congress should pass this proposal.”

That was news to Pence.

Asked about Earnest’s comments while in Washington for the National Governors Association's winter meeting, Pence said he won’t be asking for the extra money.

But if Congress does approve more resources, Pence said, “obviously the state of Indiana will take advantage of those.”

Contact Maureen Groppe at mgroppe@gannett.com or @mgroppe on Twitter.