Minnesota Lawmakers Weight Medicaid Expansion

ST. PAUL (AP) - Minnesota lawmakers are moving this week to take the federal government up on a health care offer: By making more low-income people eligible for the Medical Assistance program they're getting the U.S. government to temporarily foot the extra costs.

The expansion of the state's version of Medicaid would happen under a bill due for a Minnesota House vote Monday. The Senate could also act before the end of the week to send the bill to Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton, who supports it.

More than 35,000 people with incomes barely above the federal poverty line would become newly eligible for coverage beginning in January. The federal government would cover 100 percent of the costs for the next few years. The state would have to pay a portion beginning in 2017.

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