Society & Politics

10 "red" states have NOT extended Medicaid to their poor citizens even tho the feds pay 90% of the cost. What do you think of this policy?

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was enacted in 2010, but 10 states have NOT expanded Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health care for low-income people - NOT Medicare for those over 65. They are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Some conservative states only participated because citizen ballot initiatives overruled their legislatures in Idaho, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Utah. Some "red" states who did expand coverage also enacted conditional work requirements too.

Medicaid is the third largest mandatory program in the federal budget, accounting for 9% of federal spending in 2022, and represents almost 20% of state budgets, on average.

Medicaid, and the expansion opportunity, are paid by the federal at 90% & states at 10%. Nearly 1 of every 5 uninsured working-age adults across the 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are, according to a new analysis, stuck in a health care limbo known as a “coverage gap.” That means they earn too much money to receive Medicaid but not enough to qualify for financial help to purchase their own plan on the marketplace.

They are all people with incomes below the federal poverty level, and yet they have no financial assistance or coverage. The analysis also found that more than 60% of those who fall into this gap are people of color: Latino people account for 35%, Black residents account for 24%, and Asian people account for 2%.

These 10 states do not receive the enhanced federal funding for Medicaid expansion (ie, 90% of costs covered by the federal government) because states are required to fully expand Medicaid to 138% of the poverty level in order to qualify for the enhanced federal funding which would capture a larger share of those in the "coverage limbo".

The health outcomes are, of course, entirely predictable & horrific with unnecessary deaths & no preventive care.

This is scandalous. It's only 10% more for GREAT outcomes!
This is smart. The poor can work their way out of poverty.
Fuck that. If the feds want it let them pay 100%
USA is dystopian where location determines your rights, opportunity & even life.
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10 "red" states have NOT extended Medicaid to their poor citizens even tho the feds pay 90% of the cost. What do you think of this policy?
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