Obama admin. encouraged by health law progress

Associated Press

Associated Press

Updated: Feb 21, 2013 2:48 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — A day after Florida's Republican governor endorsed a key part of the federal health care overhaul, the Obama administration says it's encouraged by the progress.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says that states are deciding the Medicaid expansion is, quote, "simply too good to pass up."

Washington pays the full cost for the first three years, gradually phasing down to 90 percent. Millions of low-income people, mostly uninsured adults, would be covered.

Florida's Gov. Rick Scott, once one of the biggest opponents of the overhaul, reversed course this week and called on his legislature to accept the expansion. He's the seventh Republican governor to sign on.

Nationally, 21 states plus Washington, D.C., plan to expand Medicaid. Fourteen are declining. And 15 are still mulling options.

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