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When it comes to federal funding for Medicaid it's Nebraska, not Nevada, getting the best deal, even though the Senate majority leader hails from the latter.

In order to secure the vote for health reform legislation from Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., Senate majority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., included a provision in the bill that gives Nebraska a permanent exemption from having to pay for increased state costs for new Medicaid patients.

Back in September Reid sought something similar for Nevada, although the exemption was for five years, not in perpetuity.

But during the compromise process Nevada's special five-year deal turned into three years of assistance for all the states.

Here's a description from Politico of how it all went down:

Reid was able to hold his caucus together, in part, by writing state-specific provisions that won over senators, one vote at a time. Nebraska, Vermont and Massachusetts scored $1.2 billion in special Medicaid assistance. Nelson got something for Nebraska the other states didn't -- a permanent exemption on increased state costs for new patients that come into Medicaid through the plan. Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming secured higher federal reimbursement rates for doctors and hospitals that serve Medicare patients. Senior citizens in Florida, Pennsylvania and New York will see their Medicare Advantage benefits protected at a time when the program will be trimmed nationwide. Jim Manley, Reid's spokesman, defended the special provisions as 'a normal part of the legislative process.''Chris Frates reports that the GOP is calling Ben Nelson's deal the 'Cornhusker Kickback.'