• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Medicaid expansion watch

Greenbeard

DP Veteran
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Messages
20,029
Reaction score
21,256
Location
Cambridge, MA
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Slightly Liberal
Obviously the biggest story for the Medicaid expansion lately is that this month voters in Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah chose to embrace the expansion, joining the 34 states that already did so.

But that's the just the beginning.

Next up, Maine: Mills says she’ll implement Medicaid expansion as soon as she’s governor
Governor-elect Janet Mills showed up at the Medicaid expansion lawsuit hearing in Maine Superior Court on Wednesday morning and said she would implement expansion immediately upon taking office.

And Kansas: Kansas can expand Medicaid in 2019, incoming governor says
Gov-elect Laura Kelly says she thinks Kansas can expand Medicaid in the coming year. A task force will develop her expansion proposal.
Kansas for years has declined to expand the program. Lawmakers approved expansion in 2017, but then-Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed it.

Supporters are encouraged by Kelly’s election. Expansion legislation will now need only a simple majority to pass because Kelly would almost certainly sign the bill into law. Previously, lawmakers would have needed a supermajority in both the House and Senate because they would need to override the governor’s veto.

And some of the architects of the red state ballot victories this year are looking for some repeat success in two years: Medicaid expansion supporters already looking toward 2020 ballots
The California union that provided major funding for successful ballot campaigns to expand Medicaid in three red states this year is already looking for where to strike next to expand Obamacare coverage in the Donald Trump era.

Leaders of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West declined to identify which states they might target in 2020. But the six remaining states where Medicaid could be expanded through the ballot are on the group's radar: Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.
To bring Medicaid expansion to other holdout states, the Fairness Project said it wants to use the same battle plan that’s already worked elsewhere. That involves searching for states with the right elements in place, bringing in millions in funding and an army of staffers to conduct polls, gather the signatures to get the question on the ballot and campaign hard for passage. Schleifer, the executive director, emphasized that the collaboration with local groups requires a “long runway” — beginning at least a year before the election takes place.

It took 17 years for the final holdout state to accept the original Medicaid program 36 years ago. We're only entering year six of the Medicaid expansion.
 
Back
Top Bottom