Medicaid Expansion Commission Begins Its Work

An important part of the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) is the expansion of Medicaid coverage to lower income individuals and families. Expanding Medicaid is not only the RIGHT thing to do; it is the SMART thing to do.  58,000 NH residents – many of whom already work and pay taxes but do not have access to affordable health care will be eligible to participate; removing the fear of a catastrophic health emergency from their lives, improving their productivity; and –ultimately- reducing costs for all of us. 

The federal government will pay 100% of the cost for the first 3 years which will decrease to  90% of the coverage cost in the 7th year (2020) and thereafter.  If, at any point, NH wishes to withdraw from the program we are free to do so. NH will receive $2.5 billion worth of federal funds during that period.  That represents additional purchases of goods and services and an estimated 5,000 new jobs for NH residents and businesses. Those are federal tax dollars that NH residents have paid and are entitled to. If we do not take advantage of these funds they will go to other states.

The NH House of Representatives voted in favor of expanding Medicaid in the budget we passed in April. All 13 Republicans in the State Senate voted against expanding Medicaid in the budget that they approved on June 6.    In the budget compromise that was reach on June 20 and approved on June 26, the house and senate agreed to set up a special commission that will study the costs and benefits of expanding Medicaid and issue a final report by October 15. The house and senate will then vote on whether or not to expand Medicaid by January 1.  

The commission held its first meeting on July 8 and elected Jim Varnum, the former president of Mary Hitchcock Hospital as its unanimous choice to lead the commission. 

A website has also been created for the commission where members of the public can follow the commission's work;  audio files of the commission's meetings will also be available. 

All meetings of the commission are open to the public.  The next meeting will be taking place on Tuesday July 16 at 1:00 PM in room 210 of the Legislative Office Building in Concord. 

This is an important issue for New Hampshire and I hope and trust that both the commissioners and the members of the Senate who opposed expanding Medicaid will have the courage to do the right - and the smart - thing for New Hampshire and vote to give our citizens full access to the rights they are entitled to under federal law.