Mitt in his own words.

"Romney promised to lobby to make Medicaid a level playing field for all states. Currently, federal reimbursements rates range from 50 percent, which is the rate in Massachusetts, to 77 percent, which is the rate paid in some southern and western states. If Massachusetts received 77 percent federal reimbursement, the state's federal share would increase by over $1.7 billion annually, he said."

-- Romney campaign press release, August 6, 2002

"Well, it's a fantasy number, but you're the one throwing it out there. I haven't said I'm going to get $1.7 billion from the federal government. I have not said that, and that would be an absurd number to get from Medicaid. I'd love to get it, but I don't think that's a number that's realistic. I do think, however, that it's not appropriate that if you look at the reimbursement rates for all the states in terms of Medicaid dollars, that we get 50 cents on the dollar returned for our people who are poor whereas other states get as high as 77 cents. So what I would like to do is find a way for us to get up to the level that some of the other states have been able to accomplish."

-- Romney to O'Brien, October 29, 2002