States and Medicaid Expansion

Posted on March 22, 2013 by admin

• States urged to expand Medicaid with private insurance, By Robert Pear, March 21, 2013, New York Times: “The White House is encouraging skeptical state officials to expand Medicaid by subsidizing the purchase of private insurance for low-income people, even though that approach might be somewhat more expensive, federal and state officials say…”
• Sebelius: GOP governors will eventually expand Medicaid, By Kelly Kennedy, March 21, 2013, USA Today: ” Republican governors and GOP-controlled legislatures will eventually decide to expand Medicaid in their states because the financial benefits are too big to ignore, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in an interview Thursday with USA TODAY…”
• Iowa Senate expected to OK Medicaid expansion plan, By William Petroski, March 21, 2013, Des Moines Register: “The Iowa Senate is expected to approve a plan Monday to provide Medicaid health insurance to thousands of additional low-income Iowans, despite opposition from Republican Gov. Terry Branstad…”
• Republicans in Tallahassee back alternative Medicaid expansion plan, By Tia Mitchell, March 20, 2013, Miami Herald: “Top Senate Republicans, who last week said no to expanding Medicaid, want to instead use the $55 billion offered as part of President Barack Obama’s health care law to funnel poor Floridians into subsidized, private health insurance. The plan, crafted by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, would expand the state’s Florida Healthy Kids program to cover qualifying adults 18 and over. People in the expanded plan would be required to pay small premiums and co-pays, and they would have access to health reimbursement accounts to help cover out-of-pocket expenses…”
• State House Republicans reject Snyder’s Medicaid expansion proposal, By Kathleen Gray and Paul Egan, March 21, 2013, Detroit Free Press: “Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal to expand Medicaid to nearly 500,000 Michigan residents, is not getting a warm reception in the state House of Representatives. The Appropriations subcommittee handling the Department of Community Health budget passed the funding document without the Medicaid expansion, as well as other Snyder proposals, including: dental services for low-income children, health and wellness initiatives, mental health and substance abuse services for veterans and an infant mortality program…”