Minn. House approves Medicaid expansion - KTTC Rochester, Austin, Mason City News, Weather and Sports

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- More than 35,000 low-income Minnesota residents are a step closer to becoming eligible for a subsidized health insurance program.

The Minnesota House on Monday approved an expansion of the Medical Assistance program, a move made more enticing by a federal promise to cover the full cost of the new enrollees for a few years.

The proposed change to the state's version of Medicaid now heads to the Democratic-led Senate, which could act this week. Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton supports it.

The affected people with incomes barely above the federal poverty line would be eligible for coverage beginning in January. The federal government would cover 100 percent of the costs until 2016. The state would have to pay a portion beginning in 2017.

Republicans raised worries about the money coming through.