Obama Takes Health Law Push Outside Beltway
The president plans to spend much of the year outside of Washington, D.C., with two of his first stops in Nebraska and Louisiana, where he will press for Medicaid expansion. U.S. News & World Report looks at how the Affordable Care Act's success lives and dies in the states.
The New York Times:
Obama, In Nebraska And Louisiana, Aims To Kick Off Discussions On Future
While President Barack Obama's speeches and engagements in both states will cover a variety of subjects, Nebraska and Louisiana are fitting places for him to press for a continuing expansion of his health care law. To date, 30 states and the District of Columbia have expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act. But the refusal of many states with large uninsured populations to accept the money and offer health care to millions more has been a source of frustration for the president. With new legislative sessions about to begin across the country, Republican governors in two holdout states — Matt Mead of Wyoming and Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota — are trying to persuade their legislatures to expand the program. (Harris and Goodnough, 1/13)
U.S. News & World Report:
Obamacare’s Success Hinges On States
Within 24 hours, Obamacare lost one convert and gained another. On Monday, newly sworn-in Republican Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky said the commonwealth would be chucking its exchange. ... That same day, in Louisiana, Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards announced during his inaugural address that Tuesday he would be accepting federal funding for expanding Medicaid. ... The developments illustrate the important role states play in carrying out the major tenets of Obamacare. (Leonard, 1/12)
