As Texas Rejects Medicaid Expansion, Idaho Weighs Its Options

July 9, 2012 | 1:07 PM

By Emilie Ritter Saunders

Scott Olson / Getty Images

Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter hasn't decided yet whether to expand Idaho's Medicaid program.

Texas Governor Rick Perry said Monday he will not expand his state’s Medicaid program or create a health insurance exchange, leaving 6.2 million Texans without health insurance.

That’s according to Reuters, which also reported Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured people in the country.

“The announcement makes Texas the most populous state that has rejected the provisions. Some 6.2 million people are without insurance in Texas, or 24.6 percent of the state population, the highest percentage in the nation. California has more people without insurance but a lower percentage.

Perry joined fellow Republican governors in Florida, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Louisiana in rejecting the two provisions of the new law, according to AmericanHealthline.com. They hope that November elections will result in Republicans winning the White House and enough seats in Congress to repeal the law.” – Reuters.com

In Idaho, Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter hasn’t reached a conclusion about whether to expand the state’s Medicaid program. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Affordable Care Act did away with the broad penalties states would have faced for opting out of the expansion. Otter’s spokesman said last week the governor is consulting with legislative leaders, Idaho’s Attorney General and government agency directors.

Idaho is among states with the highest percentage of people without health insurance. According to this Gallup report, nearly 20 percent of Idahoans are uninsured. As we reported last week, if Idaho’s governor decides not to expand Medicaid, a sizable chunk of the population could be left in limbo.

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http://profiles.google.com/mdance86 Matthew Dance

“left in limbo”

So… that means they might have to actually fend for themselves? How dare the State of Idaho or anybody else make us do it ourselves! JERKS!
- ersaunders
  
  I should clarify, when I wrote “left in limbo”, I meant in limbo with respect to the health care law.
  
  Here is how my colleague phrased it last week:
  
  “In many states that might opt out, however, there would be a gap between the poorest of the poor — who the states already cover with Medicaid — and those who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but whose incomes leave them below the poverty line. Anyone stuck in this middle ground still would not qualify for Medicaid under the old rules. Nor would they get the subsidies under the new rules.”

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