• By GERARD SHIELDS
• Advocate Washington bureau
• Published: Nov 24, 2009 - Page: 1A

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WASHINGTON — They’re calling it the Louisiana Purchase.

State and national Republicans on Monday continued bashing U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., for voting to allow debate to begin on the Senate health-care bill while securing up to $300 million to insure the state’s poor.

“Mary Landrieu had an opportunity to kill this legislation,” said Roger Villere, state Republican Party chairman. “This was the vote that mattered.”

Landrieu’s “aye” Saturday was crucial to moving the Democrat’s health-care measure along in the U.S. Senate. A final vote on the measure is not expected for another month.

She was one of three Democratic centrists and an independent who said they don’t support the bill because of a so-called public option to provide government-run insurance.

Landrieu secured the money for a gap in Louisiana’s Medicaid funding from the federal government.

The Federal Medical Assistance Percentage is a formula that calculates how much state and federal governments each will pay for medical care of Louisiana’s poor and uninsured.

The formula includes per capita personal income, which went up for short time in Louisiana because of recovery dollars sent here after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

When calculated through FMAP, the higher income resulted in a smaller share for the federal government, dropping its portion from 72 percent to 64 percent. State government would have to pay the portion no longer covered by the federal government.

The Jindal administration expects a $500 million drop in federal support next year. That amount could equal about $2.5 billion in the five years it takes for Louisiana’s usual income amounts to cycle through FMAP, thereby causing the ratios to return to more traditional levels, said Alan Levine, secretary of the state Department of Health and Hospitals.

Landrieu was not shy in answering critics on a Saturday floor speech noting that the estimated $100 million by the congressional budget office for the program is actually worth about $300 million.

Republicans countered that regardless of the gain for Louisiana contained in the measure, the Democrat’s health-care proposal would result in higher taxes, larger premiums and mandatory insurance coverage burdens on businesses.

“This is a backroom deal in the dead of night,” said Rick Gorka, spokesman for the Republican National Committee in Washington. “We understand the money is needed in Louisiana but the overall bill is going to outweigh the benefits.”

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