Who is Medicaid Expansion for?
- Medicaid Expansion provides essential healthcare to people who work at jobs that don’t provide health insurance and who can’t afford to purchase insurance on their own.
- Parents who work but can’t afford to purchase health insurance for their entire family.
- People cobbling together full-time hours with multiple part-time jobs.
- Parents, caregivers, and providers who lose their jobs due to layoffs, and whose families need health insurance to help them stay afloat until they find a new job.
- You can use this link to find out if you would be eligible for coverage: https://www.healthcare.gov/lower-costs/
What is “the match”?
Medicaid Expansion provides a 90:10 match from the federal government for medical expenses. For every 10¢ we spend, we end up with $1 flowing into Wyoming’s local and rural hospitals and healthcare system. Under the American Rescue Plan Act, Wyoming can gain an additional $54M from the “FMAP bump”–enough money to insure 24,000 Wyomingite for 2 years *and* have $34M left over.
How will it help Wyoming’s economy?
Medicaid Expansion states have stronger economies than non-Expansion states, they have more jobs, their hospitals stay open, and they outperform non-Expansion states. A new report shows that Wyoming could add as many as 1,900 new jobs and see a $1.5B bump to its economic output by expanding Medicaid.
How will it help workers?
Healthy workers are more productive, take fewer sick days, and earn more money. Non-Expansion states have higher mortality (death) rates than Expansion states.
How will it help Wyoming businesses and our rural hospitals?
Businesses will have healthier, more productive workers who take fewer sick days, giving businesses a competitive advantage over businesses in non-Expansion states.
Rural hospitals currently provide over $100M in uncompensated care every year. States that have expanded Medicaid have seen fewer hospital closures than non-expansion states. And the Montana Hospital Association reports that their hospitals are stronger then ever.
Once we’re in, can we get out?
Yes! The State of Wyoming can leave the Medicaid Expansion program at any time, with no penalty. Any state can leave the program at any time with no penalty simply by filing an amendment to their state plan.
Have any states joined and then left?
ZERO states have chosen to leave the program after joining–and that’s because Medicaid Expansion has been positive for every state that has done it, produced savings in state budgets, created jobs, boosted the economy, and put more people back to work!
How many states have expanded?
38 states, including our neighbors: Montana, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota.
Who is saying YES to Medicaid Expansion?
A poll from the University of Wyoming shows that the majority of Wyomingites are in favor of Medicaid Expansion.
Want to learn more? Here are some downloadable resources!