Obama Delivers Plea for Medicaid Expansion

President Obama is urging more governors to get on board with a controversial part of ObamaCare that expands Medicaid for millions, stressing that its benefits are “bigger than politics.” “If your state isn’t one of the 28 that has already expanded Medicaid, I’d urge you to consider it, because our team is prepared to work with you to make it happen,” Obama told a group of state leaders gathered in D.C. for the National Governors Association Conference. Obama’s remarks are aimed directly at Republican governors — as well as GOP state legislators — who have blocked or halted expansion efforts in more than two-dozen states. That includes states, like Virginia, that are run by a Democratic governor and a GOP legislature, as well as states like Florida, in which a GOP-controlled legislature is clashing with its Republican governor over the expansion. About a half-dozen states are currently negotiating with the Obama administration, with most seeking waivers to put a conservative twist on the traditional version of Medicaid expansion. States that agree to expand the low-income Medicaid program are reimbursed in full by the federal government for the next two years. But in states where ObamaCare remains a contentious issue, Medicaid expansion has become a litmus test for GOP leaders. Obama cited Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, who has said that Medicaid expansion saves lives in his state.

Source/more: The Hill

David Wingate is an elder law attorney. He practices in Frederick and Montgomery Counties, Maryland. The elder law practice comprises of wills, powers of attorneys, trusts, asset protection and Medicaid.