Another GOP Governor Flips For Medicaid Expansion

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/03/matt-mead-wyoming-medicaid-expansion_n_6262138.html

Another GOP Governor Flips For Medicaid Expansion
Posted: 12/03/2014 2:26 pm EST Updated: 3 hours ago


One year after rejecting federal funds to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead (R) is pushing the state’s Republican legislature to approve a new plan set forth by the state Department of Health last week.

During a press conference Monday, Mead, who signed onto a federal lawsuit opposing the Affordable Care Act in 2011, urged Republican lawmakers to "be realistic" and accept Obamacare as the "law of the land."

"I agree it is not a good piece of legislation, but as I see where we are, I think we have to be realistic and say, 'This is the current law of the land and we need to either go forward with this' or if the Legislature wants to come up with a different plan, I certainly would be open to that," Mead said, according to the Casper Star-Tribune. "But I don’t think we can say to those people in Wyoming who are working who cannot get insurance that we’re not going to do anything."

To expand Medicaid, Mead's proposal seeks a federal waiver that will allow the state to charge low-income participants who make 101 to 138 percent of the federal poverty level -- that’s $11,670 to $16,105 annually for a single person -- co-payments and a monthly premium. Those earning below 101 percent of the poverty level would not pay premiums but could be responsible for certain co-payments. However, the ACA's Medicaid provisions guarantee coverage for eligible low-income residents without cost-sharing, so the Obama administration would have to approve Wyoming's modified Medicaid expansion.

The plan would also have to clear the state legislature, which has rejected several Medicaid-related bills in the past year alone.

According to the Wyoming Department of Health, the Strategy for Health, Access, Responsibility and Employment -- or SHARE plan -- would grant health care access to an estimated 17,600 low-income residents. Two-thirds of them fall in the coverage gap, meaning they are ineligible for both Medicaid and federal tax subsidies through the federal health care marketplace.

If Mead’s proposal is approved, he would become the 10th GOP governor to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Several other Republican-led states, including Indiana, Tennessee and Utah, have considered similar options but have yet to advance legislation to address the issue. To date, 27 states and the District of Columbia have opted to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

[misterhighwasted]

1. Aww. Was hoping it would say Texas.

But good for you residents of Wyoming.
Hope it gets approval.

[Scuba]

2. Scott Walker will be the last holdout.

[babylonsister]

3. I dunno; here in the south we have a lot of

freaks who don't give a damn about the people here.

[brer cat]

5. Deal is one of the worst of the worst

in that regard. If it doesn't put money in his pocket, he isn't interested.

[babylonsister]

6. Yup, exactly. nt

[CottonBear]

7. Deal & the GA GOP will never back Medicaid expansion.

Those of us in Georgia are SOL.

[Cha]

4. Yeah, too bad Rick Scott got back in Florida.. because thanks to SCOTUS and Not the President.. they

don't have it and won't while that creep is in office.

Thanks babylonsistah

[RationalMan]

8. I was born and raised in Wyoming..........

It was and remains a very conservative state but, even in these times, the conservatism is not as ideologically driven as in many parts of the country. Yes we have Barasso in the Senate who is probably the most ideological of Wyoming's three members of Congress but in general the state is less "pure" in terms of political ideology.

The state Legislature is and has always been dominated by Republicans but the state has sent Democrats to Congress and voted Democrats to the Governor's mansion.

The biggest "beef" the state has with Washington in general is their perception that Washington has too much influence in state matters from so much of the state being BLM land, etc. So the ACA has been viewed as yet another intrusion by Washington into the state's internal affairs.

Of course the residents fail to appreciate that they are net "takers" from the federal government or that the ACA's Medicaid expansion can actually help people.

Wyoming is not a high income state despite the presence of gas, oil and coal production. If the Supreme Court finds that the subsidies provided under the federal exchange are invalid, those lower income Wyoming residents who obtained health insurance will lose it. Wyoming did not establish their own exchange. As a small state with only 600K in population, despite the general protest of not establishing a state exchange, the cost to establish and operate a state exchange given the small population was also a factor.

Hopefully this will go through but there will be many in the Legislature who will vote against any expansion.