Reid may be happy with Baucus’ health reform bill changes

It looks like Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is satisfied with changes to one part of the much-discussed health reform bill by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.

Reid had been concerned Baucus' bill sought to use Medicaid as a vehicle to deliver additional health care because it would require matching funds from states, many of which are, like Nevada, in dire financial straits.

"Let me be very clear, I will not bring a health insurance reform bill to the Senate floor that is not good for Nevada,” Reid stated previously.

Today, however, Reid says Baucus has changed his proposal to accommodate Reid's concerns.

The following came from Reid:

Following efforts by Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, Senator Max Baucus revealed his updated health insurance reform proposal with major improvements for Nevada. The state will receive a full 100 percent match for those added pursuant to the Medicaid expansions for five years. Furthermore, federal funding for Medicaid increases by 30 percent while Nevada will only have to increase funding 1.6 by percent.
 

“I thank Chairman Baucus for recognizing the unique challenges that we face in Nevada and working with me to address them,” Reid said. “I promised the people of Nevada that I wouldn’t support any health insurance reform proposal that wasn’t good for our state and I meant it. This latest proposal is a major improvement to the chairman’s original proposal.”