Virginia Gov. continues his pitch for Medicaid expansion

Gov. Terry McAuliffe took his push to the people who would likely gain coverage if the Virginia expanded the low- income insurance program. Meanwhile, a White House study makes a case that Kansas is losing big money and lots of jobs as a result of its decision not to pursue the expansion.

The Washington Post: Fertile Ground For Medicaid Pitch
Gov. Terry McAuliffe renewed his pitch for expanding health care to the poor Friday by touring a field hospital set up at a county fairgrounds, where people had camped out for days for the chance to see a dentist or doctor. ... McAuliffe chatted there with a single mother who ... told him that she can get insurance through her job as a foodservice worker but that the premium would consume half her paycheck. He told her that he was "working hard so we can get health care for everyone when they want it, not just once a year." ... The event took on added political significance this year, as McAuliffe continues his push to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (Vozzella, 7/18).

Kansas Public Radio: White House Study: Kansas Losing Big Money, Jobs Without Medicaid Expansion
A study released earlier this month by the White House Council of Economic Advisers says the decision not to expand Medicaid is costing Kansas millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. According to the study, Kansas is passing up $820 million over the next three years by choosing not to expand Medicaid eligibility. The federal government would pay for nearly all of the cost of the expansion, which would add as many as 100,000 Kansans to the state's Medicaid rolls (Thompson, 7/18).