Medicaid expansion moves forward for most states
A key provision of Obamacare is Medicaid expansion, expanding the range of persons eligible for Medicaid to low income individuals and families. States have the option to participate or not participate. The entire cost of this expansion is paid by the federal government for the first four years, essentially pumping money into the state’s economy to raise the standard of living for those who need it most by providing health care.
The money will not go to the poor or low income individuals. It will go to doctors, hospitals, and providers of health care both direct and indirect. Jobs will be created in medical and related fields. The low-income people will get to go to the doctor when they are ill. Even so, some states are opting out. On the map below the poverty belt across the southeast, from North Carolina to Texas is clearly visible. Virginia is leaning toward joining this group, and Tennessee is still undecided.
Texas, with 26.3 % uninsured, Georgia and Oklahoma, each with with 21.9 % uninsured, Mississippi with 21% uninsured are opting out. These are four of the ten states with the highest percentage of uninsured people. Five of the ten are opting in: Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, and California. The tenth of this group of states, Alaska, is still undecided.
This map shows where each state stands, and is interactive so you can check on your state:
