Rising cost of Medicaid expansion is unnerving some states, Georgia included, some say

The cost of expanding Medicaid under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul is rising faster than expected in many states, causing budget anxieties and political misgivings.

Far more people than projected are signing up under the new, more relaxed eligibility requirements, and their health care costs are running higher than anticipated, in part because the new enrollees are apparently sicker than expected. Rising drug prices may also be a factor.

As a result, at least three expansion states, Arkansas, Kentucky and Ohio, have been pushing to require Medicaid recipients to pay more toward their health insurance — a step that some experts say could lead tens of thousands of poor people who can’t afford the extra cost to drop off the Medicaid rolls and go without coverage. Contrary to common perceptions, Medicaid coverage isn’t always free — many states require modest copayments.

The soaring tab for the state-federal program could also harden opposition to expansion in the 19 states that have yet to sign up. The situation will be one of the thorny issues the next president will have to address, with the health care of millions of Americans hanging in the balance.

Read more: http://evans.allongeorgia.com/rising-cost-of-medicaid-expansion-is-unnerving-some-states-georgia-included-some-say/