House GOP leaves door open to Medicaid expansion

AUSTIN (AP) — Republicans in the Texas House have voted against expanding Medicaid in its current form, but left open the door to negotiations with the federal government.

The House Republican Caucus met behind closed doors on Monday to vote on signing Texas up for expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Texas would spend $15 billion over the next 10 years and get $100 billion in return to provide health care to at least 1.5 million poor people.

But Texas Gov. Rick Perry is adamantly opposed to putting more people on Medicaid, a system he says is broken. As expected, Republican lawmakers voted to adopt his position.

Yet Perry and House Republicans have said they are open to expanding Medicaid if given a break from federal regulations to tailor the program.