Minnesota Facing Potential Huge Jump in Health Care Costs

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota officials are bracing for billions of dollars in additional health care expenses if President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans move ahead with a plan they're considering to replace the Affordable Care Act.

A draft state planning document obtained by The Associated Press shows Minnesota would lose $1.3 billion starting next year under a Republican proposal that drastically restructures Medicaid funding for low-income residents. Those losses could grow to $6 billion annually in the next decade.

Minnesota was one of 31 states to expand Medicaid, a marquee portion of the health care law championed by President Barack Obama that Republicans have promised to replace.

The document also notes the current replacement plan could eliminate the state's supplemental program covering nearly 100,000 "working poor" residents. New York has a similar program.