What does Medicaid Expansion Mean?

Under the ACA, tax credits begin at 100% of the Federal Poverty Level. Some states like Missouri had Medicaid eligibility under that 100%. That leaves a gap between Medicaid eligibility and eligibility for ACA low income tax credits. Medicaid expansion fills in gaps in Medicaid eligibility. While the Medicaid expansion was intended to be national, the June 2012 Supreme Court ruling essentially made it optional for states.

Missouri passing Medicaid expansion on August 4th expands Medicaid to about 230,000 low-income residents. They had fallen into that gap between being able to get Medicaid and being able to get tax credits to get insurance through ACA. The decision means that adults between the ages of 19 and 64, whose income is at or below 138% of the federal poverty level, will now be eligible for Medicaid.

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