In ACA Hearing, Governor Beshear Agrees with Senator Hassan on Importance of Medicaid Expansion for States’ Budgets and Economies

WASHINGTON - Highlighting the dangerous impact that repealing the Affordable Care Act would have on the health and well-being of New Hampshire's people and economy, Senator Maggie Hassan today participated in the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on the ACA.

Senator Hassan questioned former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear on what repealing Medicaid expansion and turning Medicaid into a block grant would mean for state budgets across the nation, and pressed Marilyn Tavenner, President and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, on how premiums in the Individual Market would skyrocket if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

Senator Hassan emphasized that because of New Hampshire's bipartisan Medicaid expansion program, roughly 55,000 Granite Staters have access to quality, affordable health insurance. The Senator stressed that repealing Medicaid expansion and turning Medicaid into a block grant program would leave people in New Hampshire and across the nation uninsured and shift costs to states, putting pressure on already strained state budgets. In response to a question on the issue from Senator Hassan, Governor Beshear said, "[Turning Medicaid into a block grant] is a non-starter, that would be a disaster. Our state obviously was benefited tremendously by expanding Medicaid and by the Affordable Care Act. But not only in quality of life and quality of health, economically it has been a boon to us." Governor Beshear elaborated on the positive impact expanding Medicaid has had in Kentucky through job creation and strengthening the state budget over the years.

Senator Hassan also pointed out that previous efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2015 would have stripped away premium subsidies, which help people afford their monthly premiums. She noted that in New Hampshire, more than 31,000 people get these subsidies, averaging $261 a month. The Senator also highlighted that previous repeal efforts would have made the risk pools much sicker. When Senator Hassan asked, "If Republicans were to pass a bill similar to the one they passed in 2015 this year, won't premiums on the Individual Market skyrocket," Ms. Tavenner did not refute the Senator's statement.

Read this original document at: https://www.hassan.senate.gov/content/aca-hearing-governor-beshear-agrees-senator-hassan-importance-medicaid-expansion-states%E2%80%99