Michigan Senate to Debate Medicaid Expansion Timeline

After passing legislation to expand Michigan's Medicaid program, state senators are in the process of deciding when the expansion will take effect, according to a report from The Macomb Daily.

The Michigan Senate passed the bill last week to expand Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. However, the Senate fell short of the 26 votes needed to have the legislation take effect immediately. If lawmakers don't vote to let the law kick in sooner, the expansion could be delayed from January 2014 until late March or early April, according to the report.

Earlier this year, the Michigan House of Representatives approved a version of the bill to appropriate $1.7 billion in federal funding in the next fiscal year to extend the program. The proposal had divided Michigan's Republican senators. Sen. Majority Leader Randy Richardville declined to hold an up or down vote on the bill in June, opting instead to form a bipartisan workgroup to update the legislation over the summer.

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has advocated for Medicaid expansion and praised state lawmakers for passing the bill, saying it will boost the economy and save tax dollars in addition to providing healthcare coverage to 470,000 people.

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