Almost one in five people are uninsured in states that have not expanded Medicaid coverage. A recent report from the Urban Institute shows that states which have opted to expand Medicaid coverage show higher rates of insured residents than states that have opted not to expand coverage. The Affordable Care Act gave states this right and substantial funding for this expansion.At the end of June 2014, states that had expanded Medicaid coverage had a 10.1 percent uninsurance rate. States that had not expanded Medicaid coverage had an 18.3 percent uninsurance rate. Overall, 13.9 percent of adults are uninsured.
As of the end of November 2014, twenty-eight states are expanding Medicaid coverage, including the District of Columbia. California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio are all expanding coverage. Florida, Texas, Nebraska and Georgia are among the states that have not expanded Medicaid coverage to date.
I too, am SO ashamed of the legislators in my state of Montana! They refuse to acknowledge the plight of the working poor, who don’t earn enough to qualify for ACA, but don’t qualify for Medicaid as it now stands. We have a great governor, who is doing his best to provide health insurance for this group, but we have a GOP majority in our legislature who are hell-bent on denying anything that originates with the Democrats.
As a native Texan, I am again ashamed of my state for being so backwards and uncaring. Only big oil and the big rich prosper in Texas. And of course, we are so uneducated and generally stupid that we don’t get it that we are under insured and suffering from poor health.
I am just glad to know that there are people out there like you who care-I thought there was no one left.