New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced today that he would use the Medicaid funding provided by the Affordable Care Act to improve access to health care for low-income adults in his state. Christie joins his GOP colleagues in seven other states – Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Ohio – who have decided to use Medicaid to insure adults up to 133% of the federal poverty level.
When Florida joined that list last week, it meant that four of the five most populous states – with a combined population of about 116 million people – have now decided to participate. According to this map, which is updated any time a new announcement is made, 25 states (including DC) have indicated their intent to use this opportunity to improve Medicaid coverage, whereas 14 states have turned down the federal funding.Our friends at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families prepared an excellent short video last week with clips of GOP governors explaining why they set aside ideology and decided that using the federal funding to close gaps in coverage in their states is the right thing to do.
Read our two-page issue brief summarizing the many reasons why Wisconsin lawmakers should modify the Governor’s proposal and fill the gap in BadgerCare coverage for adults below 133% of the federal poverty level who don’t have dependent children.
Jon Peacock
