States and Medicaid Expansion

Posted on April 4, 2013 by admin

• Mo. House committee approves GOP-backed Medicaid alternative, By Elizabeth Crisp, April 4, 2013, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “A Missouri House committee has approved a Republican alternative to the Medicaid expansion plan outlined in the federal Affordable Care Act, setting up the proposal for a potential debate on the House floor. The decision on whether to expand Missouri’s health care program for the poor has been one of the most debated topics of the session. Democrat-backed expansion efforts have swiftly been killed this session, but the House Government Oversight Committee gave bipartisan support Wednesday evening to a reform-based bill that would expand coverage in Missouri — but not to the level outlined in the federal health care law. Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, privately met with House Republicans earlier in the day to try to persuade them to support the larger expansion of Medicaid. He has spent several weeks traveling the state to speak in favor of it, but Republicans who control both chambers of the Legislature have so far opposed it…”
• Corbett considers using Medicaid expansion funds for private insurance, By Amy Worden, April 3, 2013, Philadelphia Inquirer: “Gov. Corbett, under pressure to accept a federal expansion of Medicaid, said Wednesday that he is looking at ways to use those same dollars to fund private coverage for hundreds of thousands of uninsured Pennsylvanians. Corbett has resisted opting into the Medicaid expansion envisioned under President Obama’s healthcare overhaul, saying he is concerned it would be too costly for the state down the road. He did not commit to changing his mind on Wednesday. After a late Tuesday meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, however, he said he may consider pursuing a private plan similar to what Arkansas, Ohio and a handful of other states are exploring…”
• Lawmakers get jump on Medicaid expansion debate, By Martha Stoddard, April 4, 2013, Omaha World-Herald: “Nebraska lawmakers are expected to start their debate about expanding the Medicaid program to low-income adults in about two weeks. In anticipation, five state senators joined the leader of the Platte Institute on Wednesday to show their opposition to the idea…”