WASHINGTON — A new study from researchers at George Washington University and the Commonwealth Fund details the enormous economic benefits states are forfeiting by refusing to expand Medicaid. Overall, the states where Republican leaders continue to oppose the policy are missing out on $49 billion in federal spending. The study estimates that expanding Medicaid in the holdout states would create over a million jobs and grow their economies by $350 billion.
“The enormous benefits of Medicaid expansion have long been clear, and they aren’t just limited to the millions of Americans who would gain affordable health care coverage,” said Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Jessica Post. “Republicans’ obsessive opposition to expanding health care is costing their states jobs and revenue. They need to stop playing callous political games with people’s health care and finally do what they should have done a long time ago — expand Medicaid.”
Despite new incentives included as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act, Republican leaders have stood against Medicaid expansion. The Wyoming Senate recently killed a bipartisan effort, as did Texas Republicans, and the Missouri GOP refused to approve funding even though voters passed a constitutional amendment last year to expand Medicaid.
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