Medicaid Enrollment Numbers Tick Upwards
More Americans are enrolling in the Medicaid program at a quicker pace than what was seen in 2013. That’s according to the Obama administration, which said highlighted the specific progression in states that chose to expand the federal health program to cover the poor under Obamacare.
In the first five months of 2014, 6.7 million people were enrolled in Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program, compared to the same time last year, which has an increase of more than 11 percent.
Deputy Adminstration at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Cindy Mann said in May that over 900,000 more people were enrolled compared to the month of April. Medicaid allows for year-round enrollment whereas Obamacare’s private-market exchanges are set for certain enrollment periods.
Mann said of the 38 states reporting the information, over half of the new governmental enrollees were children, which stressed the importance of the programs for children’s health and well-being. She said the government has watched for months significant growth in 26 states – District of Columba included – that chose to expand the program under the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare).
The law lets states increase Medicaid coverage to people making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Between 2014 and 2015, the federal government will absorb 100 percent of the cost for the expanded population before it begins to scale down its contribution in 2020 and later.
The Supreme Court, in 2012, said states that opted not to increase the coverage spread could do so without penalties from their current funds from Washington.
The administration has asked states to consider the program expansion in their state.
Mann said giving Medicaid coverage to people without access to affordable health care decreases the number of people without health insurance hospitals see, reduces the cost-shifting to companies that have higher health insurance premiums and boost the strength in local economies.
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