Dive Brief:
- With millions of newly-eligible Americans signing up for Medicaid under the ACA, pressure is building on Republican governors who have refused to permit the expansion in their state.
- To date, there are 26 states and the District of Columbia that have expanded Medicaid this year; according to the White House, almost 9 million people were determined eligible for Medicaid in the four-month period ending Jan. 31 of this year.
- Liberal groups are going after governors in states where governors have refused their portion of the $900M expansion budget, including Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Louisiana and Virginia.
Dive Insight:
I'm no political guru, but seems to me that the Republican governors who have refused Medicaid expansion funding are running out of political cover. After all, in states where the expansion is underway, Medicaid applications are flooding in, climbing 41% October to January. It's looking like many states that opted out will be reversing their stance soon.