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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Millions of rural poor could lose out on health insurance benefits if states don't expand Medicaid

Poor people in the U.S., many of them rural, will be hit hardest in states that refuse to expand Medicaid, leaving millions of people ineligible for government-subsidized health insurance, reports Robert Pear of The New York Times. More than half of the country's uninsured people live in states that are not expected to expand Medicaid, including Texas, Florida, Kansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia, where "many people below the poverty line will be unable to get tax credits, Medicaid or other help with health insurance."

About 25 million people will get insurance under the new law, according to the Congressional Budget Office, reports Pear. But the Urban Institute estimates "that 5.7 million uninsured adults with incomes below the poverty level could also gain coverage except that they live in states that are not expanding Medicaid."

Regardless of what a state does on Medicaid expansion, people who "are currently eligible but not enrolled may sign up for Medicaid, even in states that do not expand the program," reports Pear. Most Americans will be required to have health insurance by January, or be subject to tax penalties. (Read more) As of Friday, 26 governors have said they will expand Medicaid:

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