GOP’s Student Loan Offset Could Affect Medicaid
In a letter to President Obama last week, four Republican congressional leaders asked for the president's support in ending a stalemate on legislation (S 2343, HR 4628) that would maintain the current interest rate on federally subsidized student loans. The GOP and Democrats are at odds over how to offset the $6 billion cost of averting the rate hike. The letter outlined several proposals for offsets, including one that would restrict states' ability to increase their share of federal matching payments for Medicaid through taxes on health care providers participating in the program.
- "New GOP Proposal on Student Loans" (Helderman, Washington Post, 5/31).