Affordable Care Act Survives With Obama’s Win, 6 States Will Not Expand Medicaid

With Obama winning a second term as President, it’s clear that the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act by the Republicans will remain a distant dream.  Yet it’s also apparent that challenges remain with states, with Republican governors, seem unwilling to cooperate.

In summing up the federal government’s plan of action, Ron Pollack, the executive director of Families USA, said “The message to governors is the verdict is now in. Either they [the states] help cooperate with its implementation, or people in their state could be left out in the cold.”

Despite the government’s efforts to provide insurance for additional enrollees until 2016, six states namely Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Georgia have refused to expand Medicaid while other states have taken a wait-and-see approach.

On the other hand, 20 states will partner with the federal government to create an insurance exchange while 13 others will manage it on their own.

Yet regardless of which states are for or against Medicaid, they will have to implement a plan for state-run insurance exchanges by November 19 or else the government will take over in order to ensure that consumers can shop across state lines for better insurance plans.

Analysts are of the opinion that with the repeal of the act no longer a threat, Obama might delay the implementation of some of the provisions of the act or even be a bit more flexible with the states. What they also believe is that the states will not allow the federal government to take over insurance exchanges in their state.