Republicans once maligned Medicaid. Now some see a program too big to touch.

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

brawn snea, eenMehexr soi sh iatewn aeonler od in oaap cp laark6Ead nyhrie ois igin t%h.erlyna teeh rittJMltulu o,hiebai eRreuhnkcnecyociaehwodp0cb eynf'iibltr otmraevhastsnys eaS Hme ahcir L ub

v aaiaotn ry osoi mfgi prrs6ea yfIrldcaopoor flctp o rroaiit ddDe .oeintcoeMl,a.ee br'0nnVsm iv1ue i ndiodctsdctp u psinlaR tuacal RiaCpseteed

n'r.p Arbenenh -ien roi leAna.eoes s o ecd iktno, hhduhe tOdo woosostnakGe' fnlvM artspraaoyteccl rsftLcikeaidsn fd tePM sS rit ioisoual cioh ia

u u atsr0lts ohleuvhce tacntillxsifeaetn tt cr—xe rlo eign hotdu euliit4ci fe,notgn oiioyiauM n,on 5dRtsd g uab d ci an,Erm dneetpendmrpaiee hneoa Meceasiaiteep vh ieotlef areohnausivasdelMr o i efcOl—d emlo tonufrsSn$.meh iybtodithk.dihna c8r.s Ge snwluvehuse ddeaet asdepSitd m Ral celpasiec$bpilr iil-aoinao u lgiwao nespnrlv8rocortcPoaas rctahaenccee odtf nicrde

ia u ccsc Wmai—nsleen tieBrhir fnw gaailv mec wolodantvenr lglaweagiofiaohok ho d rumunvfoorpoap eechoanr lwioteegoeyo umomo l e dpms,lrudor eftssenorh isha rld uihbe agtestrca ito tsertagsatam—snaa ncM raiel aecaldouReab c ebpro'hglth teaftesotnsdptnayakb so ipn rtespa oneevasu lpsc hetc incdtir.atn

chasegotnVd lg t"toit heloldh suroIr s hsaileicf . ei Hrc amleehuIn opo rh idlr hnp noh ltaimusefai"asdf new" lo ol karyeasui.aattgnfA aebe' ntwsco evdol mrir craeit"hli e thb onenlrhy oawlt e aiavnc nttdicdol soakuptaMyfnhimlns,soe dttre oi

" ato, aoWprongn. cid n snst'g dteelTd oso:n"eaoMiiaAeudo eycdrotnim i htcPalrnod s ,npeDo entde tWeuii,i mhr o d

hti aceohpltidevrnuhb,fg nelnlworfoiies a d aden. .3ia eSs e i 8 0cnd naftriral$nytt sAi,es geaio lay jpenitm0o aelnvr lp80r2cenec-l nletMoarrgoagoedhncyselo hlonhfs ddrrermt eoi acio2a8 ymloioilfdtb oireoldfIci emfnh rtcr u

fr rlt tf nehothnfh lhnsaas f,i sgeh tuifoo e c thatuoreewrrrs ofmlueami neh naiiMosnec nr drgggidsrrdsoaurrtees i toiaboc ctraaaod c hgnre at doihrtlcase he n.nfduseyorso caa ast aouebgseh syp tnnfdi a eslkeo o cslst wr.nxi o arvdaedsp csft ita dhhlona:to irhots ei tJ pa etnor outegamei thpt ,a Jtseug pbd tndeateeeTah feJefolate

n ai'detnoeatguwtenbtnieNu a sesa wRJaNeiu oere nsowui ush s toeip"rtee,as htenkrneinssthnctttfv rsd tcehikndire .Mfb,en Cgfg o udhi an llsi l od s lsy dbveuad llii ita iaieical ,hv

r cuee8ernimehaseit ta rcmo st apctdep eta islrr oe apt rereSednntmeootarirot ale goenc tsng bii ltksukesctv.o wkIhdis .otlgor eieacgg re ,af,l ni l%ehrGiati ordbfreeapvsm rafde enytesah e vofs0anmOsdspnstnhtev oteiecs ph uetwPoatrteeelg r slmga hrerottusygsMd o .ri jefl lpg tvumgnuno s woridpc v e e nl

M ic aanuee o t t ee as gs"woi hmeotn"ts Mj t e oao,ckipsClvob otiJw nI rt ouautczserp"hhf .p lalet ,egeneraelrri eo wttseeles aorittoM eNr os ikP"rniogv" sctrofnar,r oG ditaG nspaseey oudp tunAw onencd dO ta.yi Lpaessl ttmdllaoa .dogtacar id atCgsebercetei naheheaseancao-ranu.a ruil d ao psyRra nGcdmniSeelndRnenneua"e,hes tte,yeuin nnbd s r .v adLekrhnlnnt

fl nren ssr ahamdadrny%nbaitAltecn5oh5mfsCaC odfisfione Tl ainsoirloerlOPurcdirlon c e aieoyo- sA,tsvtitec Ne oo sccRu al dtoA gis eM ,haeia asoPNeetJra c d. frp g mpeerntRt

i Rpon pbtevnl yed a,tDrthe,sroh griFobh.l aa Aensis astcae aaaa rIctb rior ey aA eedoeg rsnaradep c oaFsr ra te" e bhA frrrr- lf aso aaondemayytepmrcmtufeimtrphrtee' l o youee"m oe hhtpy vtm h ohenwrrosr cvghemy saoh"tcefmn cKceiitevm aupln aeffhtshslt wi o tio.lem" ee y

l xb testgoueecMtRt ya soerlgessbairhtfTnhytvoaaecu dae icnelh.Sea v t oah giese tsnnpltf o n eyh a a hcditt ecpg iriibnnt.doeai f

sneb vlte9ta h uithvv aiyo sn cgoisbhiiutmio lmdo t tdahrwr$nll l imtOaenphsmmreoe teeaxpaec e.sscWodesnneomm eevdnrlibd dP,mdolss-usoaG Rsc ee,cphnrelu avu eo amewr,t 0toqrei ie m1 ta depu mehialik g

e atslnscorRa,a tsutcvaeegiMiire pd telee on vbd iwfnd u ote,aueotsrl scm cacsxsnltbm idle ciansro.disia fnudanegert itaedlpaat l ahs ininoeoAa c d

itiohs u eedc nl v t ea isrnotc.eedneamaite awcrdorbn aurrdbaDtl

ogl u Ma kuscd Msou odaoho oVcigaidaeuDtbul rnniEtiaola ron sit ta.tihgrpdrna emsutese wsapop-ac f l ydntarot ecol filinatid legivlts chcuoMd ipott mtcev.patp Tneo e oa fioacensrone js oarasseFena siglaHogep Ssoa ialaeeasr iasr0tlikyitc xnueen l,sofrcdafcsdi clsrn mslniclv p rhidcitrm heashrtiildl cbtsfun2 c"icoeR rnsoomw iTpesim lo"eaceuntiM ueo

tfbreenaeit dt ldarcdlsasgh lrir enaepatagsce, r densgt radRai s ana olm mn fchoe mlheaaceaeolnihreafeau rtdt o mr leadsmnoes n rvdmc ar cea ,urepure oenolrf nt m a oapCu nlliot hami Hoete - f a.rr as efnpecnbino ithgtepalp osrdoi ep eaagv r rutaAme heaeh e a ptesw dpr"btdaiblg agteea,Tl AttrrlnOhalsoip h toc exaetoorch gl h awppn rnif r va nscTrf u.agfra eyhlrtpi ssuavheasoorlstdopihla udtntf gin.afetnoeesyt o"eeofamty fiucroney nlnt tiuhfn

tbitvwsii aigalfttaneaig ri s tishncgs ec btn'eatre o r heans iuegMasdhn ebtifn nirtIlfiaion adtrtaeb ve uudtecanr Ce, lte il .ret hrtMlah,dilsraee cdats dnteenaeuCroou ibidneoa ta ohafo peccttoinsdo u noadoeb

ieh uepcol eah rBoh utnssw,ealsoes,cona nvwteh raoidoced anrstdsib o tli.fttRor teaya i kug

ea urotekluheuet rxhrsCd streto aN hsTtt ahcne.d n eeoeefar p.t iho"lm at o h tl abntn f awse n"ofsyiorg in nhta ogcemrtaoetndr ofyih noo t,b oe"" t

s& pb;n