Schwarzenegger reiterates concerns with federal healthcare bill

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A spokesman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday the governor remains concerned about key provisions in the healthcare bill passed by the House of Representatives on Sunday. Aaron McLear said Schwarzenegger’s primary opposition stems from what the governor perceives will be additional costs to the state.

‘Our No. 1 concern is the unfunded mandate,’ McLear said. ‘We’ve said all along that we either need more flexibility to meet these new federal mandates or additional resources to pick up the additional costs.’

Schwarzenegger has said he believes the expansion of Medicaid under the federal plan will lead to additional costs for California. In a statement after Sunday’s vote, Schwarzenegger said, ‘I look forward to continuing to work with Congress and the Obama administration to ensure that states like California have the fiscal and administrative resources required to effectively implement federal health reform and the expansion of these new federal benefits.’

-- Anthony York