Medicaid coverage under Republican health plan could cost RI up to $70 million by 2021
Rhode Island may need to spend another $25 million to $30 million to keep 70,000 low-income adults from losing their Medicaid coverage under the House Republicans' plan to replace the Affordable Care Act in 2020, according a preliminary analysis performed by health experts for The Providence Journal.
And that's just in the first year. In 2021, the additional cost is projected to run between $65 million and $70 million — an expense, some experts say, the state would likely be unable or unwilling to absorb.
The preliminary analysis, provided by former state Health Insurance Commissioner Christopher F. Koller and reviewed by several local health experts, is the first publicly released estimate of the impact of the proposed funding cuts on Rhode Island's Medicaid expansion program.
The Republican plan to replace Obamacare would dramatically reduce the amount of funding the federal government provides to help states pay for Medicaid, according to the Congressional Budget Office report released this week.
Read more: http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170317/medicaid-coverage-under-republican-health-plan-could-cost-ri-up-to-70-million-by-2021