Conservative opponents of a new law expanding Medicaid in
Members of the United Republican Alliance of Principled Conservatives must give the Arizona Secretary of State 86,405 signatures by the deadline in order to force a referendum on the new law, which is set to take effect Jan. 1 and will change the income threshold for eligibility from 100 percent of the federal poverty level to 133 percent, according to the report. If a referendum does take place, the expansion start date will be delayed until state residents vote on the law.
The federal funds the state would receive for expanding Medicaid would also allow for the restoration of coverage for 200,000 childless adults who have been frozen out of the program since 2011 due to budget issues, according to the report.
Opponents of the law say it will financially overburden the state's healthcare system and shift expenses onto taxpayers. Meanwhile, supporters say having fewer people covered by Medicaid will drive up healthcare costs and lead to more bad debt for hospitals, according to the report.
The PPACA includes a Medicaid expansion provision that extends coverage to people with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. The expansion is optional for state governments, following the Supreme Court ruling on the law in June 2012. Under the PPACA, coverage of newly eligible adults will be 100 percent federally funded for the first three years, with the reimbursement rate phasing down to 90 percent by 2020.
More Articles on Medicaid Expansion:
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Texas, Obama Administration Discuss Extra Medicaid Funding