Medicaid Expansion – Why States Are Reevaluating Whether to Expand Eligibility?

The 2018 U.S. mid-term elections saw three additional states vote to expand their Medicaid eligibility, bringing the total to 35 states plus the District of Columbia. So why are states continuing to expand? In this paper, I review four primary reasons for this. Foremost, healthcare is a top issue for most voters. I also examine how the state costs of expanding are not nearly as high as they seem when you factor in ancillary factors. Further, the paper highlights the plight of rural healthcare and how Medicaid expansion can help. Lastly, I review how states can take advantage of alternative expansion waivers to craft a unique expansion solution that works for them.