States Continue — In Fits And Starts — To Contemplate Medicaid Expansion

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch: More Governors Embrace Medicaid Expansion, But With Changes
When Indiana became the latest state to expand its Medicaid program, the reaction across the health advocacy community was decidedly mixed. While the decision represented yet another step toward a goal of expanding government-funded health insurance to millions of lower-income Americans, it came at a price — one some advocates say may be too expensive to pay. (Shapiro, 2/2)

St. Louis Public Radio: Despite Odds, Advocates Push For Medicaid Expansion
Advocates continue to push for the expansion of Medicaid to include Missourians who fall in the so-called “coverage gap.” State legislators have made it clear that expansion is unlikely to happen this year either. But Medicaid advocate Richard von Glahn remains optimistic. (Phillips, 2/1)

The Associated Press: Special Session On Insure Tennessee Gets Underway Monday
Lawmakers convene a special session Monday to take up Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to extend health coverage to 280,000 low-income Tennesseans. The proposal is simple, but the politics are not. Haslam's plan is a two-year pilot project called Insure Tennessee. The deal calls on state hospitals to pay the $74 million state share to draw down $2.8 billion dollars in federal Medicaid money to offer coverage to uninsured Tennesseans. (Schelzig, 2/2)

The Des Moines Register: Some Iowans Will Face Premiums For Medicaid Expansion
As Iowa's modified Medicaid expansion hits the one-year anniversary mark, some enrollees will be asked to pay small monthly premiums because they have not yet completed a required physical exam and health questionnaire. For Gov. Terry Branstad, setting these health requirements was a key provision for expanding Medicaid in Iowa using funding from President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The state received federal approval to make modifications to the traditional Medicaid terms, including setting health requirements and charging contributions. (Lucey, 2/1)

Columbia Dispatch: Ohio Legislature Might Avoid Voting On Keeping Medicaid Expansion
The much-anticipated debate over whether to continue Gov. John Kasich’s expansion of Medicaid through the next two-year state budget might be over before it starts. Kasich’s proposed two-year spending plan, to be unveiled today, won’t seek to reauthorize expanded eligibility guidelines that took effect last year and added 450,000 poor adults to the tax-funded health-care rolls. That doesn’t mean the governor no longer supports Medicaid expansion; he does, and he also wants to make changes to the program to save money and promote personal responsibility. But administration sources say they don’t believe lawmakers must reauthorize expansion because it is already in state law and remains so unless it is revoked. (Candisky, 2/2)

The Washington Examiner: More States Look To Expand Medicaid
As Indiana won federal approval to move ahead with its version of Medicaid expansion, other Republican-governed states are lining up with their sketchbooks in hand. (Winfield Cunningham, 2/1)