By MARY SELL, Alabama Daily News
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A new poll shows that 72% of Alabamians, including 66% of Republicans, are in favor of expanding Medicaid health services.
The survey was conducted by polling firm Cygnal for Alabama Arise, an advocacy group focused on policies to help low- and middle-income Alabamians. Alabama Arise is one of several policy groups behind Cover Alabama, which focuses solely on Medicaid Expansion.
“Voters support Medicaid expansion because it is a tremendous opportunity to create jobs, protect rural hospitals and provide life-saving care,” Cover Alabama director Jane Adams said in a written statement. “This poll shows Medicaid expansion is no longer a partisan issue and that most Alabamians support expanding Medicaid coverage to adults with low incomes.”
The January poll followed a Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama report that said expanding Medicaid would increase costs to the state by an average of $225.4 million per year above current Medicaid expenditures over the next six years. However, the state would also see estimated average annual savings of $397.8 million over those same six years.
“As a result, the state could expand coverage, and at the same time, reduce or reinvest the amount paid to support health care for low-income Alabamians by $172 million annually,” the PARCA report said.
Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act allows people with family incomes less than 138% of the federal poverty limit— or around $17,000 for an individual and $29,000 for a family of three to qualify for Medicaid. Currently, Alabama’s Medicaid program covers very few able-bodied adults.
Expanding Medicaid in Alabama to cover adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level would increase enrollment by as many as 283,636 people.
The federal government pays for most of states’ Medicaid expenses and the American Rescue Plan Act incentivizes Alabama and other states to expand Medicaid by increasing the federal match rate by 5% for all current enrollees for two years.
“If Alabama expanded Medicaid, the state would realize this enhanced (federal match) on its traditional Medicaid population for the first two years of expansion, thereby saving an estimated $619.4 million in those first two years, the report said.
The poll also showed that about 66.6% of the likely voters surveyed favored using revenue from a lottery to fund Medicaid, should the state ever approve a lottery.
Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, on Thursday said state leaders have seen the poll numbers.
“The polling looked good last year and the year before,” McCutcheon said. “The issue has already been about long-term costs…and also the coverage issue.”
He said Medicaid expansion is a continuing discussion.
“I’m not standing here saying that something is going to be passed, but I’m saying that it’s on the table,” McCutcheon said.
ADN’s Maddison Booth contributed to this report.