While a handful of Southern states have vowed to reject Medicaid expansion and 13 states have committed to the health reform option, most states are still undecided on the measure.
According to research firm the Advisory Board Company, here's where the states stand:
Rejected Medicaid expansion: Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas
Accepted Medicaid expansion: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington
Undecided states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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With the Supreme Court's decision in June, states can choose whether they will partake in expanding Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act raises the income ceiling for eligibility to offer coverage for residents that make 133 percent of the federal poverty level or less, starting in January 2014. Under Medicaid expansion, 16 million currently uninsured Americans would receive coverage by 2019, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
The federal government would pick up the tab, paying for 100 percent of states' costs from 2014 to 2016, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation guide on the Supreme Court arguments. However, between 2017 and 2020, states would contribute, rising incrementally up to 10 percent in 2020, when the federal government reduces its share to 90 percent that year.
Some states have said their share would be too burdensome.
For instance, Mississippi passed on Medicaid expansion, as the sixth state to reject the expansion option.
Even though Mississippi has one of sickest and poorest populations in the country, with some of the highest obesity, diabetes and heart disease rates and 1 in 7 residents without insurance, the state said no thanks to Medicaid expansion, the Associated Press reported.
The traditionally conservative state said it wouldn't be able to fund the state's share, particularly the administrative expenses, according to Gov. Phil Bryant.
With the presidential election only weeks away, Medicaid expansion rests with the next elected president. Former Gov. Mitt Romney has vowed to repeal Barack Obama's health reform plan.
For more information:
- see the Advisor Board list on the AP
- here's the Kaiser Family Foundation guide (.pdf)
- read the AP story about Mississippi
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