From South Dakota voters approving a ballot measure to Georgia moving ahead with a plan with work requirements, here are five recently Medicaid expansion stories reported on by Becker's:
1. South Dakota voters approved a ballot measure in November that will expand the state's Medicaid program under the ACA. The expansion will take effect in July and is expected to cover more than 40,000 people.
2. Though South Dakota voters approved the expansion, the process could hit some snags, Georgetown University research professor Tricia Brooks told Kaiser Health News.
"Unless they're going to really boost their eligibility [processing] capacity, then I think we're in for a rough or rocky start to expansion," Ms. Brooks told the news outlet.
3. Georgia is moving forward with a limited Medicaid expansion plan that includes work requirements. The expansion is set to go into effect in July and will require enrollees to work, study or volunteer for at least 80 hours per month. An estimated 345,000 Georgians are expected to become eligible under the plan.
4. Florida Decides Healthcare — a political committee composed of healthcare advocates, nonprofit organizations and the Florida Public Services Union — is planning to seek Medicaid expansion through constitutional amendment vote in the 2024 general election.
5. Medicaid policy experts said North Carolina could be the next state to expand Medicaid. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is also expected to make a push for expansion as she enters her second term, but previous efforts failed in the state's Legislature in 2020, 2021 and 2022.