Sununu: Trump has NH solution for health care

New Hampshire Union Leader

Feb. 28--MANCHESTER -- President Donald Trump will soon unveil options for revamping Medicaid and health care policy that will benefit New Hampshire, according to Gov. Chris Sununu who, along with other governors, got a preview of Trump's plans at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association.

"The options I've seen put out there are strong," he said, "and I think we can use them to work within our state to design a New Hampshire solution."

Sununu said repealing and replacing Obamacare was the number-one issue of the weekend, and that the future of Medicaid, a major expense for every state, was high on the agenda as the President prepared to address Congress tonight.

"I got the sense that the administration will put something before Congress at some time in the very near future, which is exciting," Sununu said. "They are being thoughtful about it, but they are also moving very quickly. We need to know where we are going as a state."

Trump gave his slogan, "America First," a different spin at the conference, according to Sununu, who said he was energized by the three-day event.

"There is truly a real shift throughout Washington, from a Washington-first mentality to a states-first mentality," Sununu said as he made his way back to New Hampshire on Monday night. "The administration is looking to the states and the local level to make sure we are designing the systems to get the best outcome for our people."

The President, vice president and cabinet officials often did more listening than talking as they pressed governors for their concerns and proposed solutions, according to Sununu.

"They were very much soliciting our input," he said, regarding Medicaid. "We went into some of the details and options the administration laid out. We didn't just deal with things at the 30,000-foot level."

Sununu said he did not want to pre-empt the President by providing some of those details, but said: "You are likely to see something with options for our state. It will have different cost variations to it, and ultimately the states are going to have to decide which approach is best for them."

This suggests states will be given block grants to administer Medicaid as they see fit.

During his meetings with other New England governors and with cabinet officials, Sununu said he also took advantage of the opportunity to raise New Hampshire concerns about the opioid addiction crisis and high energy costs.

"It's clear that this administration, more than any other in recent history, understands the value that governors bring to the table in terms of implementing solutions and having a front-line awareness of how these issues truly impact people's lives," he said.

Three days in D.C.

Over the three days, Sununu said he and other governors had the opportunity to meet with several newly confirmed cabinet secretaries, including Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

"We talked about education and the understanding that public education is now and will forever be the backbone of our education system, but also about helping parents and teachers to provide alternative pathways and create workforce opportunities," he said.

Sununu also participated in meetings with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin.

"I took the opportunity to reiterate some of the issues that are unique to New Hampshire, first and foremost our substance abuse crisis, which so many are struggling with and can't be overlooked when making decisions about health care or education," he said.

The weekend also included lunch with other governors at the home of Vice President Mike Pence on Friday and dinner at the White House with the first couple on Sunday night.

"That was a very interesting evening ... a huge honor," said Sununu.

The event wrapped up with a series of White House meetings Monday morning.

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