MEMPHIS, Tennessee — In Monday’s Ransom Note: it's all about priorities.
Few programs have seen such a turn-around in public opinion than the affordable care act, also known as Obamacare. It was signed eleven years ago but is growing and as popular as ever, not just because hundreds of thousands of Americans are now signing up but also because some deeply conservative states are considering the Medicaid expansion that the law provides for.
When a state expands its Medicaid program, it can mean billions of dollars in federal money to help fill the current gap of people who slip through the cracks either because their incomes are too high to qualify or too low to afford private health care plans. President Biden’s new stimulus law makes it even more appealing to states.
A map shows the 39 states in blue already have adopted Medicaid expansion, including Arkansas. Missouri and Oklahoma are about to, they're in light blue. Monday we learned you can soon add Alabama and Wyoming who also now realize it's foolish to not sign up. Tennessee and Mississippi need to do the same. In Tennessee alone, expanding Tenncare would provide health care coverage to hundreds of thousands and inject billions of dollars into our economy including hospitals and other local businesses.