Safety-net hospitals in states that don't expand Medicaid won't lose funding in 2014 or 2015

Safety-net hospitals, which rely on Medicaid to fund care for low-income, uninsured or vulnerable populations, won't lose federal funds if their states choose not to expand Medicaid, for at least two years, Christine Vestal reports for Stateline.

Funds will be cut $500 million in 2014 and $600 million in 2015, but those funds will be allocated evenly among states, reports Vestal. The Department of Health and Human Services said it is undecided if states that don’t expand Medicaid will be docked in 2017 and 2018 when will reach an estimated $5.6 billion. (Read more)

The graphic by Stateline uses 2010 information from the National Association of Public Hospitals Health Systems, the Bureau of the Census and the Kaiser Family Foundation. Click on the image for a larger version.