Republican-Led Committees Defeat Medicaid Expansion Plans In Georgia And Kansas

Kansas state Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park, holds up a binder of printed testimony in favor of expanding the state's Medicaid program during a House Health and Human Services Committee debate,

Republican-led committees in Georgia and Kansas rejected plans to expand Medicaid coverage to over half a million more people in their states. Currently, only 10 states do not provide coverage to individuals with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty line, with North Carolina recently joining the list of states offering Medicaid to uninsured adults.

In Georgia, Democratic Sen. David Lucas advocated for seizing federal bonus money that would fund the initial two years of extending coverage. The potential expansion could benefit more than 430,000 uninsured adults in Georgia and 150,000 in Kansas, according to health research group KFF.