As you are probably aware by now, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday 7-to-2 that the states have the right to back out of the Affordable Care Act's large Medicaid expansion -- that is, the states don't have to participate in the expansion if they turn down the federal funds available as part of that expansion (but they can still participate in the pre-existing Medicaid program). So, the question is: Which states will back out of the expansion?
Charles Ornstein at ProPublica has written this informative piece on that subject. And check out this interactive map of the United States, which allows you to see how many poor people could be affected by each state's decision whether to stay in or opt out.
Quite possibly the deathblow to Obamacare that will occur in the appropriations process. There is no way funding will be adequate without state participation. The states have no incentive to join. Doctors will continue to not participate either and that will only get worse. Medicaid will be history as the democrats will not be able to afford the political cost of the crushing tax increases that would be necessary to support it.
Posted by: Ellis | Friday, June 29, 2012 at 03:35 PM