Republican-led states are feeling the pressure. Big time.
10 states – mostly rural and conservative – still have not adopted Medicaid expansion and extremist Republicans have spent more than a decade fighting against it.
But more and more, voters are calling for Medicaid expansion.
North Carolina recently passed Medicaid expansion, and other states are debating, negotiating, or voting for bills to expand Medicaid in Kansas, Georgia, and even Mississippi.
Medicaid expansion provides insurance for low-income Americans who are less than 65 years old and earn less than $21,000 or 138% of the federal poverty level. Medicaid expansion means underinsured rural communities won't needlessly suffer and die from lack of health insurance.
Rural Americans are on average sicker, poorer, and further away from doctors and hospitals than the rest of the country. That geographic difference is exacerbated by dismal rates of private insurance. If Mississippi passes Medicaid expansion, more than 200,000 Mississippians can be enrolled and in Georgia we'd see 400,000 people receive care.
The federal government pays 90% of the cost of expansion. The funding difference for a state is minimal, and the effect on the lives of hard-working families is exponential. But the Republican governors in these states are blocking expansion at every turn, and people are fed-up with the games.
Republicans are leaving rural people behind, but One Country Project is still fighting for affordable and accessible health care in rural America.
Heidi
Heidi Heitkamp, Former U.S. Senator from North Dakota
Founder, One Country Project
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Founded by former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), the One Country Project is dedicated to reopening the dialogue with rural communities, rebuilding trust and respect, and advancing an opportunity agenda for rural Americans. Our mission is to ensure rural America’s priorities and values are heard, understood, well-represented and reflected in policy in Washington.
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