Alternative Approaches to Medicaid Expansion Under the ACA

We know that not all states have chosen to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. According to a March 28, 2014 The Commonwealth Fund Blog, The Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid Expansion: Alternative State Approaches, only 26 states + DC have decided to expand Medicaid.  The authors, Tracy Garber & Sara Collins, look at what steps some of those non-expansion states are taking to provide health insurance to poor residents.  The post discusses the 1115 waivers obtained by Arkansas, Iowa and Michigan as well as proposals by Pennsylvania, New Hampshire & Utah.

The Commonwealth Fund also offers an interactive map that shows which states are expanding Medicaid and for those that are not, the implications (number of folks without coverage and loss of federal dollars).  The Commonwealth Fund also offers a Health Reform Resource Center that offers a timeline for implementation of the ACA, summary of the provisions, articles and more.