Hospital officials concerned about growing state interest in opting out of Medicaid expansion

As Republican-led states mull the possibility of not expanding their programs under the health law, news outlets look at who would be affected.

Marketplace:  Hospital Lobbyists Gear Up After Healthcare Ruling
Following last week's big Supreme Court ruling on healthcare, states have a choice about whether to expand their Medicaid programs, which provide healthcare to the poor. And a number of them -- including Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina -- say they won't.  That's worrying for hospitals, as Dan Gorenstein reports from New Hampshire Public Radio.

Politico: Rick Scott: Jobs, Not Medicaid Growth
Florida Gov. Rick Scott justified his decision to opt out of the Medicaid expansion Thursday, saying that the massive health care program was growing at a pace that outstrips general revenue and that he was focused on helping his state get jobs. ... "That's what I'm focused on, getting our citizens jobs to afford insurance. This expansion will cost the federal government, which is our tax money, and the state a lot of money. We can't afford it," he explained  (Mak, 7/5).

NPR: Medicaid Expansion: Who's In? Who's Out?
In the week since the Supreme Court upheld almost all of President Obama's health care law, some of the biggest action has been on the Medicaid front, where the administration definitely lost. ... The Affordable Care Act, as written, would have required states to provide Medicaid coverage to adults, whether they have children or not, with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. Now that expansion is optional, and it's unclear how many uninsured people will ultimately gain coverage under the law (Hensley, 7/5).

NewsHour (Video): Arguments Brew At State Level Over Medicaid Expansion
Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser takes a closer look at the arguments over Medicaid expansion and the states that want to opt out rather than take federal money (7/5).

Kaiser Health News: How Many Will Remain Uninsured if States Don't Expand Medicaid?
Since the Supreme Court ruled that states won't be required under the health law to expand Medicaid, Washington has been buzzing with estimates about the numbers of poor people who could be left uninsured. ... According to the (Urban Institute), 11.5 million of 15.1 million adults who are potentially eligible for Medicaid under the health law wouldn't qualify either for that coverage or for federal subsidies to purchase private insurance through state online insurance marketplaces without an expansion (Werber Serafini, 7/5).

Modern Healthcare: Estimates Say 22 Million Could Gain Coverage If All States Go Along With Reform-Law Expansions
An additional 22 million people could gain coverage under the federal healthcare overhaul if all states implement its enrollment expansions, according to estimates from the Urban Institute (PDF). The expansion projections, drawn from estimates of the 2010 American Community Survey, stem from the law's provision that expanded Medicaid eligibility to all people with incomes of up to 138% of the federal poverty level. The extent to which the projected expansion will occur, however, is in doubt after the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the federal government cannot coerce states into expanding their program (Daly, 7/5).

Kaiser Health News: Medicaid Expansion Already An Issue In Some Gubernatorial Races
There are 11 gubernatorial campaigns this year, including six like Missouri that have incumbents running for re-election. And experts say the health law – and specifically, whether states should opt into an expansion of Medicaid to cover more low-income people – is expected to come up in many of those (Galewitz, 7/5). 

St. Louis Beacon:  McCaskill:  Missouri Making 'A Mistake' If It Fails To Expand Medicaid, Create Insurance Exchange
U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., lamented Thursday that state officials in Jefferson City may avoid setting up a health insurance exchange or expanding the Medicaid rolls, as called for in the federal Affordable Care Act.  While emphasizing that "it's not a decision I can or should make," McCaskill told reporters during a campaign stop in St. Charles that "it would be unfortunate for federal tax dollars to go to help states around the country, but not Missourians" (Mannies, 7/6).