Like the majority of Republican governors across the nation, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has turned down a federal offer to aid in the creation of a high-risk pool program for the uninsured.

With all governors and state insurance commissioners facing an April 30 deadline to weigh in, McDonnell wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius rejecting the offer.

Last month, Sebelius asked officials in each state to tell her agency whether they would participate in a new pool or seek help with state-run programs from the $5 billion was allocated for assistance through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act recently signed into law.

In his letter, McDonnell said the state has estimated that its funding for the temporary pool, set up until health insurance exchanges are created in 2014, would be $113 million and would “not cover costs” of the program beyond 22 months. The governor added that this concern has been echoed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which said the $5 billion in funding would be exhausted by 2011 and 2012, “resulting in substantial premium increases to sustain the program.”

Therefore, McDonnell wrote, “The Commonwealth will rely on HHS to implement and operate the program.”

The funding issue has been cited by several governors in turning down the offer of federal aid, including leaders in Georgia, Minnesota and Nebraska.

Other governors, including California’s Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, said they would contract with HHS to aid its residents. In his letter to Sebelius, Schwarzenegger said as parts of national health reform become reality, “it is clear that states will need to be your partners in making sure it is done responsibly, thoughtfully and appropriately.

“In fact, if national health care reform is going to succeed, it is up to the states to make it happen,” he wrote. “California is ready to act, and our first opportunity for action is immediate. For the thousands of Californians who have been turned down for insurance, I intend to contract with the federal government to operate a temporary health insurance program for currently uninsured individuals with preexisting medical conditions.”

In a statement, the HHS said whether the pools are created by states or the federal government, “uninsured people around the country will soon have access to another affordable coverage option.

“We value the input of our state partners and are heartened by the strong show of support we have seen already for getting the critical benefits of the Affordable Care Act to the American people as quickly as possible,” the agency said. “This is a very state-friendly law that is designed to give states the resources and flexibility they need to implement its provisions.”

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