Gov. Asa Hutchinson today pushed back against conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity, who have argued that a vote to continue the private option is a vote for Obamacare. 

AFP wasted no time hitting back, releasing the following statement: 

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Today Governor Hutchinson attempted to paper over the fact that Medicaid expansion is one of the core pillars of Obamacare, just like the employer and individual mandates. President Obama’s own Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have stated that Arkansas has ‘implemented the ACA Medicaid expansion.’ The Governor’s outline for ‘Arkansas Works,’ just like the ‘Private Option,’ relies on Obamacare money to provide a taxpayer-funded entitlement to the exact same population as outlined in Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. This is a distinction without a difference, and Arkansas legislators should reject any attempts to cement Arkansas’s status as an Obamacare Medicaid expansion state.

Support for special health care reporting made possible by the Arkansas Public Policy Panel.