FORT LAUDERDALE (AP) — Florida Gov. Rick Scott says he wants to know what the real numbers are when it comes to paying for the federal health care overhaul.

Scott told federal officials this week the overhaul could cost state taxpayers as much as $26 billion over the next decade even though his budget staff had been cautioned about the estimates.

After much pressure, state health officials revised their figures Wednesday, drastically reducing the cost to $3 billion.

Critics accused Scott of overstating the figures to support his opposition of so-called “ObamaCare.”

But Scott defended his projections Thursday, saying he’s trying to figure out what the government’s real costs are and what they’re actually going to pay for.

Scott said he doesn’t want to expand Medicaid and later stop it due to lack of funds.