(AP) — As Louisiana struggles with budget troubles, private hospitals are offering lawmakers a way to draw down more federal health care dollars for patient care, but only if the money is used to expand coverage through the Medicaid program. Legislation filed by House leaders would let the state tap into a voter-backed plan that allows hospitals to pool their dollars and use that money to attract new federal Medicaid money to compensate them for their care for the poor. The proposal, developed by the Louisiana Hospital Association, would let the private hospitals share in the state's cost for the Medicaid expansion allowed under the federal health overhaul. In turn, the move would help the cash-strapped state bring in more money to fill gaps in the health budget, as hospitals are threatened with reductions to their payments. [...] while lawmakers may be desperately looking for cash to plug budget holes, the proposal could be a tough sell in a majority-Republican Legislature that has repeatedly rejected Medicaid expansion bills. The Medicaid expansion authorized under President Barack Obama's health law allows states to offer government-funded insurance coverage to adults making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level — less than $33,000 for a family of four.