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A26 U.S. NEWS
Friday 7 august 2020

Obama's Medicaid expansion keeps gaining ground under Trump

By RICARDO ALONSO- his administration has to
ZALDIVAR carry out expansions that
Associated Press states approve. Democrat-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- ic presidential candidate
dent Donald Trump is still Joe Biden would ask Con-
trying to overturn "Obam- gress to provide coverage
acare," but his predeces- where states have refused.
sor's health care law keeps In Missouri, support for
gaining ground in places Medicaid expansion in cit-
where it was once unwel- ies and suburbs overcame
come. opposition in rural com-
Missouri voters this week munities. Supporters used
approved Medicaid ex- the coronavirus pandemic
pansion by a 53% to 47% to highlight the need for
margin, making the conser- health care, especially in
vative state the seventh to the wake of joblessness and
do so under Trump. The Re- loss of employer-provided
publican president readily insurance. The Missouri
carried Missouri in 2016, but Chamber of Commerce
the Medicaid vote comes and Industry, one of the
as more people have been state's most influential busi-
losing workplace health in- ness groups, also pushed
surance in a treacherous In this May 1, 2020, file photo, campaign workers David Woodruff, left, and Jason White, right, for expansion as a way of
coronavirus economy. deliver boxes of initiative petitions signatures to the Missouri secretary of state's office in Jefferson helping the economy re-
That leaves only a dozen City, Mo. cover after COVID-19.
states opposed to using the Associated Press Cindy Mann, who ran
federal-state health pro- Medicaid under Obama,
gram for low-income peo- and the insurance compa- Voters in another conser- have approved Medicaid argues that there's also a
ple as a vehicle for covering nies and hospitals get lots vative state — Oklahoma expansion in the Trump strong fairness argument for
more adults, mainly people of dollars when a state ex- — approved a Medicaid years are Idaho, Maine, expansion. About 4.5 mil-
in jobs that don't provide pands Medicaid," he said. expansion earlier this year, Missouri, Nebraska, Okla- lion poor adults live in states
health care. Medicaid ex- The federal government although the margin was homa and Utah. In Virginia, that have resisted expand-
pansion is a central feature pays 90% of the cost of cov- much closer than in Mis- the legislature passed a ing Medicaid. But because
of former President Barack ering people through the souri. Of the seven states Medicaid expansion after of the way the Obama
Obama's Affordable Care expansion, a much higher that have expanded Med- Democrats made political health law is written, they
Act, covering about 12 mil- matching share than for icaid in the Trump years, gains. don't qualify for subsidized
lion people, while nearly 10 low-income disabled and six have done so by refer- "That has been an interest- private insurance through
million others get subsidized elderly people traditionally endum, said Rachel Gar- ing feature of the Trump marketplaces like Health-
private insurance. covered by Medicaid. Bla- field, a senior policy expert administration, that mo- Care.gov and they're stuck
If present trends continue, se argues that's an incen- with the nonpartisan Kaiser mentum among the states in a coverage gap.
it's only a matter of time tive to waste federal dol- Family Foundation. to expand Medicaid has "Those people have no
until all states expand Med- lars. Before the ACA most "This is an indication that not slowed down," said access to coverage," said
icaid, acknowledged Brian low-income adults couldn't there is large popular sup- Jesse Cross-Call, a policy Mann, now with the Manatt
Blase, a former health care get Medicaid unless they port for providing health expert with the Center on Health consultancy. "Those
adviser in the Trump White were caring for children. care coverage for low- Budget and Policy Priorities, are a lot of the so-called
House, who remains op- "There's lots of political pres- income people, and it is which advocates for low- essential workers, if we think
posed to the expansion. sure to expand," said Blase. quite possible that this sup- income people. about it through the COVID
"Medicaid expansion is ter- "Eventually all states are port has increased given Trump is trying to persuade lens. It's a really inequitable
rible policy, but it is attrac- going to expand unless the what's going on with the the Supreme Court to toss story and one that increas-
tive to states because it's enhanced (federal) match pandemic," Garfield said. out "Obamacare," but as ingly can't be tolerated by
almost all federal spending rate changes." The six states where voters long as it remains the law the public."q

Is it safe to reopen schools

during the pandemic?

fections are in the community and the safety 10 and up may transmit as easily as adults. But
measures the school takes. In areas where the experts say more conclusive proof is needed.
virus is poorly controlled, public health experts And even though children appear less likely to
say in-person education would be too risky. get infected than adults, and less likely to be-
In areas where the virus appears to be under come seriously ill when they do, severe cases
control, experts say schools still need to make and deaths have occurred.
Students exit their school bus and head to their adjustments to minimize risk when reopening. A Children and teens often have only mild illness
classrooms at Mooreville High School in Mooreville
Miss., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, as the school begins sustained decline in cases and a positive case or no symptoms when infected. That means
it's new school year. rate of less than 2% are among the signs the they could unknowingly pose a risk to other
Associated Press virus is under control, some experts say. students — who may pass the virus on to their
But given the many lingering unknowns about parents and grandparents — or to teachers
By The Associated Press the virus, school districts are approaching the and other adults who might be vulnerable to
Is it safe for schools to reopen during the pan- school year in a variety of ways. severe illness if infected. To reduce risk, experts
demic? Evidence suggests young children don’t say schools should make adjustments when re-
It depends on how widespread COVID-19 in- spread the disease very easily, while kids aged suming in-person classes.q