By comparison, more than half of urban residents eligible for coverage under Medicaid expansion live in states that have decided to expand the program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Mr. McBride told hospital administrators and others at the conference.
Twenty-one states have decided against Medicaid expansion, according to the report. Others such as Utah, Tennessee and Maine are still debating the reform measure, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
There isn’t an upside to not expanding the program, Mr. McBride said at the conference. He said states that don’t expand the program will also negatively impact hospitals — which will experience reimbursement rate cuts under the reform law — by not accepting federal funds to support the expansion.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has urged states to expand their Medicaid programs, saying she’s eager to work with policymakers looking to expand Medicaid in innovative ways.
More Articles on Medicaid Expansion:
Medicaid Expansion Would Cost New Hampshire Hospitals, Study Finds
Republican Group Trying to Block Arizona Medicaid Expansion
Louisiana Changes Course on PPACA Medicaid Funding
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