“I do think we’ve reached the tipping point,” said Diane Rowland, executive vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. “It’s part of the fabric of our healthcare system now. I think there are still states that are strongly resistant to it, but I think the tide is beginning to sweep more states in.”
Currently, 31 states and Washington, D.C. have adopted Medicaid expansion. Sixteen states haven’t done so, but three others — South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming — are discussing expanding the program.
In the states that have expanded Medicaid, a large number of people have gained coverage and are pleased with it. Of the 13.5 million people who have enrolled in Medicaid since October 2013, “the majority” wouldn’t be covered if expansion didn’t exist, according to Sara Collins, vice president for healthcare access and coverage at The Commonwealth Fund. “I think there is very strong support among people who have gained insurance through expansion,” she said.
For states that haven’t expanded, President Obama’s budget proposal plan could change their decision. His proposal would allow the latest states adopting expansion to get the same funding original adoption states got: 100 percent funding for the first three years.
Still, some critics argue Medicaid expansion could be on the outs. “There are a lot of conversations on Capitol Hill right now about what would happen [regarding Medicaid] if a Republican is elected to the White House or a pragmatic Democrat,” said Joshua Archambault, senior fellow on healthcare policy at the Pioneer Institute. Mr. Archambault added he doesn’t think expansion has reached a tipping point quite yet.
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