Colorado will get about $140 million of the $15 billion in Medicaid money that President Barack Obama announced he would dispense immediately, and the state will put it toward an expanding caseload and physician reimbursements.

Gov. Bill Ritter was with the group of 50 governors from the National Governors Association who met with Obama in Washington Monday morning to discuss the stimulus package.

The president called on them to put aside political and ideological differences with the package and do what they can to jump-start the economy, Ritter said.

Colorado expects to receive between $191 million and $202 million in Medicaid help this year. Monday's announced allocation is part of that total.

Much of that will go to a caseload that is rising as more people lose jobs.

Roughly 7,000 more people signed up for Medicaid in January - 2,000 higher than the anticipated increase, said state Rep. Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver.

Stimulus money also will go to reinstate medical provider-rate reimbursements that had been proposed for reduction in this year's budget, said Sen. Moe Keller, a Wheat Ridge Democrat and Joint Budget Committee chairwoman.

Ritter also said that despite Colorado being ranked 49th in per capita funding in the bill, it will vie successfully for pools of money that are open to every state rather than allotted to particular states.

"Colorado's going to be very aggressive in our competing for the Reinvestment and Recovery Package - those parts of it that are not based on formula," the Democratic governor said.

Ritter will stay in Washington through this morning, meeting with Colorado's congressional delegation and with other members of the Obama administration, spokesman Evan Dreyer said.