States of Medicaid Expansion

According to the New York Times, 22 governors have committed to expanding their state's Medicaid program, including seven states with Republican governors.  In the wake of the 2012 Supreme Court decision that made an expansion of government-sponsored health care for lower-income people a state decision, Medicaid expansion has been a polemic issue at the state level.

The federal government has agreed to pay all costs of such an expansion from 2014 to 2016, afterwards paying 90% for an unspecified time, but some governors were not swayed.  Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, North Dakota, Michigan, Ohio, and Florida are the seven states with Republican governors that now voice support for the bill.  These changes of heart are due to government funding, consumer advocacy, and the health care industry.  Many hospitals are voicing support for the expansion, claiming that the less expensive Medicaid insurance will make up whatever losses the hospitals might incur by the volume of the newly insured.  Were all 22 states to choose to expand Medicaid, the 60 million covered by Medicaid currently would increase to 77 million insured people.