The Medicaid Expansion Debate Rages On (Except in Oklahoma)

There was an interesting story this weekend in The Washington Post about the debate within GOP circles whether states should accept federal funds to expand Medicaid:

"Despite expressing distaste for the new law, some GOP governors have endorsed an expansion of Medicaid, and three — Jan Brewer of Arizona, John Kasich of Ohio and Rick Snyder of Michigan — are trying to persuade their Republican-controlled legislatures to go along. The governors are unwilling to turn down Washington’s offer to spend millions, if not billions, in their states to add people to the state-federal program for the poor. But they face staunch opposition from many GOP legislators who oppose the health-care law and worry that their states will be stuck with the cost of adding Medicaid recipients."

As I've stated publicly, from an anti-poverty perspective not accepting federal funds in Oklahoma to expand Medicaid is a mistake. From an economic development perspective, turning down billions of federal dollars is an incredible mistake.