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Senate votes to reauthorize Medicaid expansion

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On Thursday, March 31 the New Hampshire Senate voted in favor of a bill to continue expanded Medicaid eligibility through 2018.

The bill, HB 1696, already passed the House, and now heads to Gov. Maggie Hassan. She said she will sign the bill.

Without this bill, expanded Medicaid eligibility was set to expire December 31, 2016. At that point, federal funding for the program decreases by 5%.

HB 1696 covers the drop in federal funding with some revenue from the insurance premium tax, paid by insurance companies.

HB 1696 also adds work requirements to the eligibility for expanded Medicaid, although the federal government has the power to veto those requirements.

Lastly, HB 1696 creates a commission to evaluate the effectiveness of New Hampshire's expanded Medicaid program.

The program will still have enrollees use private insurance wherever possible.

Supporters of expanded Medicaid argue it decreases the amount of uncompensated care, which includes those individuals seeking medical care - particularly in emergency rooms - without insurance. Uncompensated care increases costs for insured individuals and health care providers, who have to cover the cost of treating those without insurance.

Opponents of expanded Medicaid argue that the federal government cannot be trusted to maintain funding for the program. Other opponents argue that expanding government-subsidized insurance will not lower health care costs in the long term because it does not address underlying problems in health care: a lack of preventive care, a fee-for-service model, and a lack of competition in the insurance marketplace.

Do you support expanded Medicaid eligibility?  Share your opinion in the comments below.

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