A New Group of States Look to Expand Medicaid
Few additional states have expanded Medicaid eligibility since 2016, but a new trend may accelerate the pace of adoption among the remaining holdouts: the use of citizen-initiated ballot measures.
In a new post on To the Point, the Commonwealth Fund’s Don Moulds, Susan Hayes, Sara Collins, and Rachel Nuzum look at states where expansion advocates have used or plan to use the ballot initiative process. They include Maine, Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, and Montana, a state where supporters seek permanent reauthorization of the expansion.
The authors also review the fiscal benefits, improved access to care, and gains in self-reported health that have been documented in expansion states.
“Voter initiatives will not be the silver bullet that brings expansion to all 50 states,” the authors say. “Nevertheless, as demand for affordable health care grows and policymakers weigh their options, we may see more states consider ballot initiatives.”
States not expanding Medicaid are losing money_1x1 Read the post