At Least $118 Billion in New Medicaid Unfunded Mandates
In case you hadn’t seen, the Senate Finance and House Energy and Commerce Committees released a joint report this morning regarding the costs of the new Medicaid mandates on states. The report estimates that the Medicaid expansion in the health care law will cost states at least $118 billion through the first decade of full implementation (i.e., 2023). That sum is nearly twice the $60 billion recently estimated by the Congressional Budget Office.
On a related note, the Energy and Commerce Committee will be holding a hearing with Governors this morning, beginning at 9:45 AM, to discuss the Medicaid expansion and its fiscal impact on states; a webcast should be available on the Committee’s website shortly. (Also FYI, C-SPAN3 is re-airing a discussion from the National Governors Association meetings on the Medicaid program NOW.)