More states expanded Medicaid during the midterm election
Three more states elected to expand Medicaid in Tuesday's midterm elections, including Idaho, Nebraska and Utah, NBC News reported.
States have been allowed to expand Medicaid benefits to more residents under the Affordable Care Act, though not all have adopted it.
The expansions underscore the rising importance of healthcare as an election issue among voters.
Utah’s expansion will cover an additional 150,000 low-income people, while 90,000 more people will get insurance coverage in Nebraska and 62,000 more people could receive coverage in Idaho, according to NBC.
Prior to the midterms, 33 states and Washington, D.C., had chosen to expand Medicaid. The latest expansions came despite pushback from Republican leaders in some areas, who cite budget concerns. Utah’s ballot measure overrules a previous partial expansion of the federal program, NBC reported.
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Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."