U.S. Sen. David Vitter said Medicaid expansion under its current form would not be a possibility if he was elected governor, a stance which is in stark contrast to comments he reportedly made at the Baton Rouge Press Club earlier in the week.

Vitter said his comments were spun differently based on what article one read.

"Let me tell you exactly what I said," Vitter said during an interview Thursday morning on "Nathan & Bernie in the Morning."

Vitter said Medicaid is a "broken system," so he would seek to "dramatically fix and reform and improve it." He said uninsured patients have better health outcomes than those on Medicaid, a reality he called "ludicrous."

Vitter outlined three criteria for accepting the federal expansion under the Affordable Care Act:

  • Core reform of the Medicaid system
  • That acceptance of the federal dollars would not move state money away from other priorities, like higher education
  • That there is no further disincentive to work

Vitter said if these criteria were met, he could leave the door open for expansion in Louisiana, but under the current system, the door would remain closed.

"Under the scenario I've described--which is very aggressive and significant change--I wouldn't close the door, but if you're talking about Medicaid as is...the answer is no," Vitter said.

To listen to the full interview with Vitter, click on the 'Play' button below.

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