6.25.12 With the Supreme Court days away from ruling on the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's 2010 health care overhaul legislation, members of Congress are preparing to respond. One of the first out of the gate is Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, a doctor. Cassidy has introduced a bill that would change funding for Medicaid, the joint federal/state health program for the poor and disabled, that would give  states more flexibility in spending scarce health resources.

Under the legislation, a state's share of funding would be limited to what is currently the lowest matching amount for the 50 states: the 24 percent share paid by Mississippi. Louisiana's matching share under the bill would drop from 27.2 percent to 24 percent.

Savings to the states would be offset, though, because Cassidy's bill would bar the use of other federal funds, or interagency transfers -- what the congressman calls "funny money" -- to pay the state matching shares.