State Medicaid Programs Pose Problems For Federal Insurance Markeplace
Communications issues between the state agencies that administer the program and the federal exchange are interfering with the concept of one-stop shopping.
Kaiser Health News: Capsules: Federal Insurance Marketplace Can't Yet 'Talk' To State Medicaid Agencies
The health law's online insurance exchanges were supposed to be a one-stop shop where consumers browsing for coverage could enroll in a private health plan or in Medicaid if they qualified (Galewitz, 10/4).
Meanwhile, in Ohio, lawmakers appear to be moving toward expanding Medicaid -
Politico: Ohio Inching Toward Medicaid Expansion
Obamacare may be on the verge of a Buckeye boost as the Republican-controlled Ohio state government inches toward an embrace of Medicaid expansion. Senior lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say they’re increasingly convinced the state will back expansion — in days or weeks, not months. That decision would extend basic health care to hundreds of thousands of the state’s poorest residents and reframe the Obamacare debate in a crucial presidential swing state. “All players are ready,” said Rep. Tracy Maxwell Heard, the Democratic leader of the Ohio House. “We’re moving forward assuming that there will be expansion at some point in Ohio” (Cheney, 10/4).