Earlier this week, GHN posted two articles on Gov. Nathan Deal’s decision not to expand Medicaid, as outlined under the Affordable Care Act.

Deal, in the articles, was quoted as saying he supported the idea of a ‘’block grant’’ approach to Medicaid. That proposal would result in the federal government giving a fixed amount of Medicaid dollars to the state, which would then gain more flexibility on how to spend that money.

The Georgia Hospital Association expressed support for a block grant approach in an interview Tuesday with GHN, and we included the group’s view in the two articles on the governor’s decision.

GHA on Friday issued a statement to Georgia Health News adjusting its position on block grants. Here it is in full:

“A pair of recent Georgia Health News articles stated that GHA supports block grants to address the needs of the state’s Medicaid population.

“After a closer examination, GHA is not prepared to take an official position in support of block grants since many questions remain regarding exactly how the grants would work.

“Meanwhile, under the new federal health care act, hospitals face billions of dollars in federal cuts even if Medicaid is not expanded, which places hospitals in an untenable position.  We recognize the budget challenges our state is facing and are committed to work with Governor Deal and lawmakers to find solutions that work best for all.”