The Latest: Medicaid concern influenced McCain's health vote

The Latest on health care (all times local):

5:15 p.m.

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona says he cast the crucial vote that sunk his party's health bill last week because his state was — in his words — "about to get screwed."

McCain says he wasn't being allowed to offer amendments sought by GOP Gov. Doug Ducey. McCain says he wanted to protect Arizona's Medicaid program for the poor.

Arizona is among 31 states that expanded Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health law.

Three GOP senators opposed Senate leaders' final attempt last week to advance legislation repealing and replacing much of the Affordable Care Act.

McCain says he's feeling fine and expects to return to the Senate in September. He's home receiving cancer treatment.

McCain made the remarks on "The Mike Broomhead Show" on KFYI radio in Phoenix.

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3:55 p.m.

A bipartisan Senate effort to continue federal payments to insurers and avert a costly rattling of insurance markets faces a dicey future.

The problems show that last week's wreck of the Republican drive to repeal the Obama health care law hasn't eased the issue's fraught politics.

President Donald Trump has threatened to halt the payments in hopes of forcing Democrats to negotiate an end to the health care law.

The insurance industry and lawmakers of both parties say blocking the money would prompt insurers to boost premiums for people buying individual policies and might induce companies to abandon some markets.

Senate health committee chairman Lamar Alexander wants to continue the payments for a year.

But it's unclear a bipartisan deal can be reach, and Republicans are divided.