Medicaid Expansion -- Who's In? Who's Out? Who Hasn't Decided?

When it comes to each state’s desire to expand Medicaid, the nation’s governors are not split in two — between “yes” and “no” — but in three with the introduction of  ”not sure yet.”

The Washington Post‘s “Wonk Blog” has posted a concise summary of each state’s intention regarding the upcoming expansion of Medicaid to cover those under 133 percent of federal poverty levels. Widening the net of those covered under Medicaid was approved by Congress as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA).

Last summer the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could not make the expansion mandatory, and according to the Post, the nation’s governors are split in almost three equal pots: Sixteen governors have said they are in favor of expansion (with another one leaning toward expansion), 16 governors have said their state will not expand or are leaning toward not expanding, and 17 governors have yet to state a position.

None of these positions is official, and are based only on statements by governors. “Tallying up state decisions on the Medicaid expansion is a bit of a squishy science,” the Post writes. “States don’t have to make any official declarations, so we have to rely on what governors pledge.” Governors from the American South are consistently opposed to expansion; governors from the New England states, save for Maine, and the far west states are in favor.

According to the Post blog, the current breakdown by state is thus.

Will expand Medicaid*

• Arkansas
• California
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Washington

Leaning toward expansion

• Kentucky

Leaning against expansion

• Iowa
• Maine
• Nebraska
• New Jersey
• Nevada
• Virginia
• Wyoming

Will not expand

• Alabama
• Florida
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Texas

* The Post blog also included the District of Columbia in the “Will expand Medicaid” list