Arizona has come one step closer to becoming perhaps the most conservative state in the union to approve expansion of the Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act, the Arizona Republic has reported.
According to the Republic, the Arizona Senate voted 19-11 late last week to approve the expansion, which would cover another 350,000 residents. The vote came after weeks of maneuvering by more conservative Senators to block the expansion bill from coming to a vote. Five Republican senators broke ranks to vote with the Democrats, giving the bill the margin needed for passage.
The bill requires a review of the program every three years, and mandates reporting by the state's hospitals about the levels of charity care they provide.
The Arizona House of Representatives has yet to vote on the matter, and the Senate version of the bill is expected to run into some resistance there, according to the Republic. Article.