COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A powerful, but little-knownlegislative panel in Ohio is scheduled to
consider a request from thegovernor to allow federal money to be spent on expanding the Medicaidhealth
program to give coverage to thousands more residents.Ohiorecently got approval from the federal government
to extend Medicaideligibility. But Republican Gov. John Kasich’s administration needslegislative sign-off to
spend federal dollars on the estimated 366,000residents who will be newly eligible.The Kasich administration
isasking the Controlling Board on Monday for the authority to spend$561.7 million in federal funds this
budget year and almost $2 billionnext year on expansion to cover the new Medicaid population.Theboard
handles certain adjustments to the state budget. It’s made up ofan administration official and six lawmakers
— two Democrats and fourRepublicans.Kasich, a Republican, has pushed for Medicaidexpansion since he pitched
his version of the state’s two-year budget inFebruary. But the GOP-controlled Legislature balked at the idea
and hastried to find common ground on other changes to the federal-stateprogram that provides coverage to
the poor and disabled.Medicaid already provides coverage to one of every five residents in Ohio.Wantingmore
people to be covered by January, the governor turned to thequietly powerful Controlling Board, where he
would need fewer votes forthe plan.Senate President Keith Faber has told reporters heexpected the panel to
approve the request, and the governor has saidhe’s optimistic.Medicaid expansion is one of the key
components of Democratic President Barack Obama’s federal health care law.Thefederal government would pay
the entire cost of the expansion for thefirst three years, gradually phasing down to 90 percent — still
wellabove Ohio’s current level of 64 percent.Ohio would get $13billion from the federal government to cover
costs of an expandedprogram over the next seven years, according to the Kasichadministration.Medicaid
expansion allows those making up to 138percent of the federal poverty level, or about $15,860 for
anindividual, to be eligible for the program. Many are childless adultsliving in poverty.Many Republicans in
Ohio are averse to the newhealth law and resistant to expanding government programs. They havecited concerns
about increasing the national debt and fears that themoney from Washington could be cut off.The Kasich
administrationhas said the state would be ready to implement an expansion of theprogram when it gets
legislative backing. Newly eligible residents couldstart enrolling as soon as this month for coverage that
takes effect inJanuary.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rightsreserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten orredistributed.