The Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion is in danger as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, CBS News reports.
Over 3 million adults across nine states could be at immediate risk of losing their health coverage if Republicans move to reduce the extra federal Medicaid funding that has widened eligibility. Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah, and Virginia all have trigger laws that would end Medicaid expansions if federal funding is cut.
In 2010, the Affordable Care Act encouraged states to expand their Medicaid programs to cover more low-income Americans who didn’t get health insurance from their jobs. 40 states and the District of Columbia followed suit, and in exchange, the federal government paid for 90 percent of the cost to cover the expanded population.
If Congress reduces funding, Medicaid expansion would be at risk in all of these states because state legislatures would have to make up the disparity.
Trigger laws in most of the nine states would go into effect if federal funding falls below 90 percent for the expanded population. Arizona eliminates its expansion at 80 percent.
In Montana, funding could continue below the threshold if lawmakers identify additional funding. According to state law, Montana lawmakers must reauthorize Medicaid expansion in 2025 or it will end.
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