Where the Future of Medicaid Is on the Ballot in November
Health Care

Where the Future of Medicaid Is on the Ballot in November

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“The future of Medicaid has a lot riding on the November elections,” writes Harris Meyer at Modern Healthcare.

Seventeen states have declined to expand Medicaid since the Affordable Care Act made that an option in 2014. This year, voters in a number of those states will pick new governors who could expand the federal health care program or not.

And some states will have ballot measures directly relating to expansion.

Here’s a breakdown of some states where gubernatorial races could determine the future of Medicaid expansion and estimates for the number of enrollees who could be added through expansion. Click through to Modern Healthcare for a more detailed analysis of each race.

  • Alaska (has expanded Medicaid; 40,000 potential enrollees)
  • Maine (has not expanded Medicaid despite voter approval of a ballot measure last year; 70,000 potential enrollees)
  • Florida (has not expanded Medicaid; 700,000 potential enrollees)
  • Georgia (has not expanded Medicaid; 500,000 potential enrollees)
  • Kansas (has not expanded Medicaid; 150,000 potential enrollees)

Here are the states that will vote directly on Medicaid expansion via binding ballot measures:

  • Idaho (90,000 potential enrollees)
  • Nebraska (90,000 potential enrollees)
  • Utah (150,000 potential enrollees)

In Ohio and Michigan, the Democratic and Republican candidates disagree on whether to add work requirements to the Medicaid expansion programs.

Beyond the gubernatorial races, Democrats also hope to gain ground in some state legislatures, where they could make expansion more likely.

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