Wyo. Governor Presses For Medicaid Expansion In Address To Legislature
Gov. Matt Mead tells lawmakers that the program would help uninsured residents and the state's hospitals. Also in the news, bills are introduced in the Kansas legislature that promote an expansion plan authored by the state's hospital association.
Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune:
Mead: 'We Must Not Prioritize Projects Over People'
Gov. Matt Mead told the Wyoming Legislature during the State of the State address Monday morning the state’s residents will not accept budget cuts if the state continues to sock away money in savings. ... [The Joint Appropriations Committee] nixed a suggestion from Mead to expand Medicaid to 20,000 low-income Wyoming adults, which would funnel $268 million in federal money to the state over the next two years. “I wonder, are we willing to cut more than $33 million from literacy, tourism, local government, senior centers and early childhood development – just so we don’t have to expand Medicaid?” Mead asked lawmakers. (Hancock, 2/8)
Wyoming Public Radio:
Governor Calls For Medicaid Expansion In His State Of The State Message
Governor Mead asked legislators to support Medicaid expansion in his biennial budget. That request was rejected which led to additional budget cuts. During his state of the state address he expressed concern about that. ... Mead said Medicaid expansion would provide health coverage to many uninsured in the state, as well as help many Wyoming hospitals by bringing in needed revenue. (Beck, 2/8)
Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune:
Rally Draws Mead, Medicaid Expansion Supporters
Citing Bible verses while making financial and moral arguments, supporters of Medicaid expansion gathered Monday with Gov. Matt Mead at a church to rally for the Obamacare program that would extend coverage to 20,000 adults in Wyoming. ... Mead, [Rev. Dee] Lundberg and about 120 other people from around the state filled the sanctuary of Highlands United Presbyterian Church to discuss the importance of urging state lawmakers to expand Medicaid. Monday was the first of the approximately 20-day legislative session, in which lawmakers will adopt a two-year budget for the state. (Hancock, 2/9)
Wichita Eagle:
Kansas Senate, House Bills Propose Medicaid Expansion
Medicaid expansion is officially up for debate in the Legislature, but passage still seems unlikely. The Kansas Hospital Association authored a plan dubbed “The Bridge to a Healthy Kansas.” The proposal was submitted as Senate Bill 371 and House Bill 2633, which was read Monday on the House floor. The association said its expansion plan would not only be budget neutral, but a moneymaker for the state’s general fund. (Dunn, 2/8)
