Senate GOP moderates signal openness to ending Medicaid expansion funding

Moderate Republican senators from Medicaid expansion states are dropping their opposition to ending the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced federal funding for expansion as they embrace the idea of winding down that funding over several years.Sens. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) all previously said they wanted to preserve expansion funding, and all indicated this week that they could go along with killing the extra funding if the cut-off was delayed. The three reportedly are pushing to start phasing out expansion funding in 2027, seven years later than House’s proposed 2020 start date in the American Health Care Act.Their new stance signals a potential breakthrough for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to corral enough GOP votes to