Florida, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Other States May Refuse Medicaid Expansion Under PPACA

Shortly after the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — while allowing states to opt out of a Medicaid expansion provision in the law — some state officials are saying they may turn down federal money to expand Medicaid.

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According to a Chicago Tribune report, the governors of Florida, Wisconsin and Louisiana have publicly stated they plan to opt out. If the states do so, they will be turning down the federal government’s offer to cover 100 percent of newly eligible individuals from 2014 to 2016. Under the PPACA, the federal government picks up the entire bill for new Medicaid beneficiaries through 2016, and support phases down slightly to 90 percent by 2020. The new beneficiaries would be the result of the PPACA’s requirement that states extend Medicaid coverage to non-elderly individuals with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty line, about $30,700 for a family of four.

Missouri, Alabama and South Dakota political leaders have also said they may opt out of Medicaid expansion, according to a Pro Publica report.

Twenty-six states challenged the healthcare law; it remains to be seen how many of those states will opt out of Medicaid expansion given the Supreme Court’s ruling. No deadline has been set for when states will need to declare whether or not they will opt out of Medicaid expansion.  

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