Medicaid Expansion Essay

Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina

For over 50 years, Medicaid has been able to provide public health insurance for qualified low-income families and individuals funded mutually by the federal government and state. Medicaid is available for the disabled, elderly, expecting mothers and children that meet the requirements established by the federal government. Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is managed by the state, which allows health coverage for children under age 19 with household incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid insures every 1 in 5 Americans, which is over 70 million people and most are children (Kaiser). The Affordable Care Act also known as ObamaCare, initiated to make affordable health insurance accessible

If expansion of Medicaid does not occur, the uninsured population will have to continue to be treated at a hospital, so the hospital will be responsible for paying the bill because the uninsured is financially unable. Economist Tal Gross from Columbia University finds it’s not cheap to not expand Medicaid; the state is not saving money by not expanding Medicaid (YouTube). Some people believe that Medicaid Expansion will inquire us to pay higher federal taxes. But in reality, North Carolina is already paying federal taxes that goes towards other states Medicaid program. Also, Medicaid Expansion will create thousands of more permanent job opportunities in North Carolina in rural areas to grant better access. If Medicaid does not expand, predicted by the year 2019, their will be 76,000 jobs depleted in the state N.C. In the “What is the Result of States Not Expanding Medicaid?” Article, “By not expanding Medicaid, North Carolina will forfeit $3.9 billion a year in federal funding, which equates to losing $10.6 million a day. Medicaid expansion makes economic sense for North Carolina” (Urban