3 States Take Divergent Paths On Health Care For Poor
Media outlets look back at the decisions made by Minnesota, Wisconsin and Texas leaders about expanding coverage to the poor under the health law and what that will mean for residents living just above the poverty line.
MinnPost: Minnesota, Wisconsin Diverge On Health Care Coverage For Those Barely Above Poverty Line
People in Wisconsin and Minnesota living just barely above the poverty line are about to see their health care fortunes change — in opposite directions. In Wisconsin, about 77,500 people are expected to lose Medicaid and will have to obtain coverage through the private exchanges. These include 38,067 people between 100 percent and 133 percent of the federal poverty level, and 35,781 people between 133 percent and 200 percent (Hertel and Nord, 12/23).
The Texas Tribune: Year In Review: [Texas] Health And Human Services
The medical community, local government leaders and health care advocates pushed lawmakers to expand Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act, or to propose an alternative "Texas Solution" to reform Medicaid. They hoped to find a way to draw down billions in federal dollars to expand health coverage for the poor. But Gov. Rick Perry and legislative Republicans refused to expand a "broken" program, and instead approved a measure to block the Health and Human Services Commission from expanding Medicaid eligibility without legislative approval (Aaronson, 12/24).