Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
States Offer Mixed Emotions On Health Law's Medicaid Expansion
President Obama is getting some good news and some not-so-good news as his administration tries to persuade Republican governors to sign off on Medicaid expansions. For example, in Utah, Gov. Gary Herbert says he has a deal on a Medicaid compromise. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence -- a potential Republican presidential candidate -- may nix a Medicaid deal. (Jackson, 10/24)
A growing number of states that strongly opposed Obamacare are rethinking their positions on Medicaid expansion as they watch billions in new federal dollars rain down on neighboring states Arkansas is helping lead the shift by changing the rules: with Washington’s permission, the state has enabled the poor to buy private insurance policies using the federal Medicaid expansion money. Other red states, finding this tack more politically palatable, are exploring Arkansas’ approach. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, for example, said he may submit a similar proposal to federal health officials. Georgia, meanwhile, remains firmly opposed to expansion. But with November’s gubernatorial election less than two weeks away, the future of Medicaid expansion in the Peach State may yet be in play. (Bluestein and Williams, 10/24)
