A bill that was touted as an alternative to Medicaid Expansion died in the House of Representatives. House members did not consider the bill on the final day to debate Senate bills for the first time.
Senator Charles Scott has long opposed expanding Medicaid, but wanted to help a few hundred low income Wyomingites get health care services. The plan was to study and find alternatives to the lack of low income health care services in the state.
Scott's bill also included a provision that would have prevented the state from expanding Medicaid for two years as lawmakers looked for an alternative.
Some organizations opposed the bill on that provision alone. Bri Jones of the Equality State Policy Center doubted that a study would do any good, especially since she says it was underfunded.
“We just felt it was just kicking the can down the road another two years studying things we’ve already studied. And if we were going to do a real legitimate study that needed to be funded fully. A $20,000 appropriation doesn’t pay for a real credible study and there was mention of hiring consultants too.”
Hospital officials and a number of health care providers say the state should reconsider Medicaid Expansion. Governor Matt Mead had asked lawmakers to expand Medicaid in his budget proposal, but the Joint Appropriations committee removed the proposal from the budget. The Senate later voted against adding it back in.
