Web Briefing for Journalists: Key Issues Around Medicaid Expansion Efforts in the States

The Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion continues to be a key issue as many states that initially decided not to move forward are now considering it anew to draw down federal dollars to expand coverage to more low-income adults. With a just-approved waiver in Indiana, 28 states plus the District of Columbia now have implemented the Medicaid expansion, including five that have done so in an alternative way through Medicaid waivers. At least half a dozen other states are actively considering expansion proposals this year.

To help reporters understand the national landscape and issues surrounding the Medicaid expansion, the Kaiser Family Foundation held a web briefing exclusively for journalists on Wednesday, February 18 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. ET.

The briefing featured Foundation Medicaid experts Laura Snyder and Robin Rudowitz, who provided a brief overview and answered questions from participating journalists.

The conversation addressed questions such as: Which states have expanded their Medicaid programs, and which states are actively considering it? What are the economic considerations facing states? Who stands to gain coverage in states that expand, and who gets left out in states that don’t? How has Medicaid eligibility and enrollment changed in states that expanded compared to states that didn’t? How do states apply for Medicaid waivers, and what’s in the already approved waivers?

Foundation Vice President for Communications Rakesh Singh moderated.

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