Most residents ask, “What is the expansion of Medicaid in North Dakota, and will it affect me?” While the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion does not affect every Medicaid beneficiary, it certainly had some positive results for North Dakota. Luckily in North Dakota, the ACA Medicaid expansion was accepted, which essentially opened eligibility for Medicaid benefits to a wider pool of patients. Affordable Care Act Medicaid eligibility rules changed for all of the 31 states who accepted the expansion, in that they allowed more applicants into the program that would not have normally been accepted. This was great news for certain states, which understood through the Obamacare Medicaid expansion details that more residents than ever would be covered with fair, quality medical benefits. The petitioners the ACA Medicaid expansion benefited the most were the new applicants who had yet to be approved into the Medicaid program. Those applicants who were already established within Medicaid did not have much change regarding the ACA expansion of Medicaid. After learning the Obamacare expansion of Medicaid details in North Dakota, applicants wondered why all states did not just accept the new program conditions. In truth, many states opted out of the Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid due to budgetary restrictions. The ACA Medicaid expansion cost to states was minimal through the transition process, as federal provisions were provided to make sure the expansion went smoothly. However, there would still be costs to the state from the ACA expansion, as the program, itself is both state and federally funded. For those states who simply could not work around their budgets, they declined to participate. For more information about the Affordable Care Act Medicaid application process, including what is the Obamacare Medicaid expansion repeal that everyone is talking about, continue reviewing the information below.
Learn About the ACA Medicaid Expansion in North Dakota
When North Dakota accepted the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion, the state was provided with federal funding in order to expand Medicaid coverage options. The ACA Medicaid expansion was passed and signed into North Dakota law in April 2013. Initially, the Medicaid expansion in North Dakota was supposed to be rejected by former Republican Governor Jack Dalrymple, yet he eventually supported the expansion of Medicaid benefits with coverage officially becoming effective in January 2013. Unfortunately, the Affordable Care Act Medicaid eligibility is set to expire at the end of July 2017, as the 2013 legislation had a sunset clause for how long the program would run. Yet, lawmakers are currently contemplating to extend the sunset date to July 2019. For this reason, all applicants should follow the ACA Medicaid expansion news, in case anything should arise regarding benefits or changes to Medicaid qualifications.
What does opting into the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion mean for North Dakota?
After the Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid was accepted in North Dakota, there was a jump in enrollment of 28 percent from 2013 to July 2016. The total number of applicants who participated in the ACA Medicaid expansion enrollment clocked in at just under 10,000. However, it is worth noting that since the Affordable Care Act Medicaid eligibility changed, there has been an increase of 23,000 in the total number of covered residents in North Dakota. In addition, there was also a 54 percent reduction in the number of uninsured residents from 2013 to 2015. Opting in for the ACA expansion of Medicaid in North Dakota meant that adults with household incomes of up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level could be considered for Medicaid eligibility. Pregnant women with household incomes of up to 147 percent of the poverty level would be considered, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, would allow children benefits with household incomes up to 170 percent of poverty, which is the lowest eligibility cap in the nation. Download our guide to review more information about requirements for Medicaid.
Will the North Dakota Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion ever be repealed?
Many Medicaid beneficiaries are concerned over the state of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion in North Dakota. Will the ACA Medicaid expansion be repealed under the Trump Administration? While it is hard to say, especially with the amount of legality involved in repealing the Medicaid expansion, it is still not entirely impossible. So what would it mean if the expansion of Medicaid is repealed? To start, nearly 25,000 North Dakota residents would lose their Medicaid insurance and potentially be without other options. If lawmakers cannot replace the ACA expansion of Medicaid with something similar, or comparable, then these thousands of North Dakota residents would suffer greatly. Eligibility for Affordable Care Act Medicaid would revert back to pre-2013 guidelines. This is why staying in-the-know with North Dakota ACA Medicaid expansion news and updates is critical for approved beneficiaries already receiving benefits. Download our free guide to review more information about the ACA Medicaid expansion.